Battle Arena
by N.V.9
Summary: Sasuke is excited for his thirteen birthday. It's the day he'll finally get his Companion, but when he gets it days later its not at all what he thought it would be.
1. Chapter 1

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

It was a day like any other. The sun rose, breakfast was served, a friendly barter between brothers was had, Father was already gone for work and Mother was soon to follow. To Sasuke this was a normal routine, but today he felt a giddy excitement unlike any other. In one week his birthday would arrive. It wasn't the thought of turning thirteen that excited him or the pleasure of seeing everyone wish him happy birthday. It wasn't the thought of a party that rose his spirits or the gifts he would received from any of his guest.

In fact the only reason he couldn't wait for his birthday was because it was the day IT would finally arrive. He wanted this more than anything. More then his next breath.

What was IT, you ask? Simple IT was a Companion. A pet or beast that was part animal able to take on three forms.

The first form was that of a Chibi. A child like creature with white eyes, until he shifted to his second form, little claws, fluffy, feathered, hairy, or scale like ears and tail. Looking more like animals then anything else.

The second form was the Teen. This was when they look liked mid teenagers losing most of their animalistic forms but keeping a few. They lost their white eyes and gained their new color. Their tails and ears were longer and defined. Their claws more deadly and more pronounced. Some even lost their tails completely, like Itachi's. Once they entered this form they couldn't take on their first form anymore. It would be one year of living before they shifted.

Then the last form was the ultimate form, the Beast form. It was when they shifted to their real animal form. Losing all of their human features completely. Of course they never stayed in this form. After sometime they shifted back slowly or, for the more advanced Companions, they were able to shift back at a command by their masters. This form happened after training for sometime. It didn't matter how old they were. Some Companions never gained this form, their owners finally giving up after months of training. Others that did gain this form were entered into the Battle Arena.

The Battle Arena was everyones dream. Sasuke's own Mother and Father were part of the top ten in the Nation his mother being number 8 and his father number 4. His brother Itachi and cousin Obito, were slowly making their way up the ladder, both were already in the top fifty, Itachi being 25 and Obito 22. Sasuke wanted to join them. Sure he'd have to wait a year for his Companion to shift and then advance his or her training until they shifted again, but in the end it would be worth it.

He hoped he got one as fast and swift as his brother Itachi's. Itachi had a shark Companion that he named Kisame. Kisame was frightening but to watch him in a battle was amazing. His movements were memorizing. Itachi was lucky to have Kisame. Sasuke only hoped that he would get lucky to.

He wanted a Companion that would outshine his best friends Neji's raccoon, Gaara and Shino's bug, Fu. Both of their Companions were already in their second form, they both gained their third form around the same time and both of them were already starting their journey to the Battle Arena. Sasuke felt a little jealous that he would have to wait a while before he could enter his in. By then, Both Neji and Shino would probably already be in the top one hundred by the time Sasuke's own Companion would enter.

"Sasuke it's time to go." Itachi called from the doorway as he fixed his school uniform in place. Handing Sasuke his jacket he called for Kisame.

Sasuke felt envy eating at his belly as he watched Kisame glide in like a dangerous beast coming to kneel before his master. He watched as Itachi placed the Uchiha collar on his shark and then the leash that connected to his wrist. Kisame wore simple clothes of a Companion. Soft dark leather pants and bare chested. Only the females wore wraps that crisscrossed around their chest.

"Like what you see?" Kisame asked grinning with his predatory teeth at Sasuke. Did Sasuke also mention that once Companions reached their Teen stage they could also speak?

"Hn." Sasuke turned away and ignored the shark. Kisame may have been awesome, but he would be more so if he lost his mouth.

"Come Small Itachi, it was only a joke." Kisame chuckled following behind Itachi as they made their way to the limo outside.

"Kisame." Itachi warned as he entered the car. Immeditately Kisame closed his mouth as he followed. It may have been strange for a Companion to go to school, but if a Companion didn't see it's master for more then two hours it tended to go a little mad. Very few Companions that went mad were able to be saved. To them, their master had abandon them and wasn't coming back. Even when their master came back and tried to calm them it would rarely work. For those Companions that didn't snap back to reality they were put down. Their masters, many times, refusing to get another Companion. Sure people had more then one, but most households had one Companion per person. It was easier to train one then two. No one wanted to wait for the rest of their lives to get two Companions in the Battle Arena.

"Sasuke I'll see you after school."

Itachi's voice jerked Sasuke out of his thoughts. Blinking in surprise at how fast the ride to school was, Sasuke said goodbye to his brother and got out. Leaf Village Jr. High. Where that name came from, no one knew. There weren't even records of the person that came up with that name or where it should have popped up at. Heck, there wasn't enough trees around that could conjure up that name. The only three was the one by the front entrance that was no bigger then the doors themselves.

"Sasuke!"

At the sound of screeching fan girls Sasuke put on his most famous glare and quickened his step. Stopping at his locker long enough to change his books and put away his lunch he went quickly to class. There he spotted his best friends Neji and Shino. Curled around their feet were their own Companions Gaara and Fu.

Fu was a bug Companion with Seven tails that she fluttered around Shino at the moment. Sasuke had seen pictures of Fu in her third form. It was very gross but intriging all at the same time.

Gaara was a Raccoon with one tail that he always had curled around his stomach. He, in both animal and human form, looked scary, not that Sasuke would admit to that.

Both Neji and Shino nodded once they saw him. Their Companions only looked at him before closing their eyes and preparing for the nap that they would recieve. Eight times a day they napped, being how their wasn't much else to do during school.

Sasuke nodded back to his friends before taking his seat between the two. Five minutes later other students were appearing. Much to Sasuke's annoyance they all had Companions in either Chibi form or Teen. Without realizing it, Sasuke's face shifted into a glare. Soon I'll have one that they will envy, Sasuke thought. At least he wasn't the only one in his class that didn't have one. Last time he checked, Sakura didn't have one either.

"Sasuke!"

"Your fans are calling." Neji smirked petting Gaara's hair, the red head's ears twitching with pleasure.

"Hn."

Sasuke watched Ino come in with her Chibi Sai. He was the only Hawk Companion that was in the whole school. The Hawk Companions were said to be a dying breed and when Ino came to school one day six months ago with Sai the school went nuts. Each wanting to see one of the few Hawks still alive.

He watched Shikamaru, another somewhat friend, come in with his Teen Companion Choji, who so happened to be a Boar or pig like the school called him since he was always eating.

Then Hinata came in with her own Teen Companion Kiba, a Dog. Kiba was the bane of his existence. That stupid mutt never shut up and the only time he did was when he slept which was when the snoring would be heard. How Hinata could put up with him for more then a day he didn't know. All Sasuke hoped was that he didn't get one like Kiba.

Kin came in with her Teen Companion Kidomaru again another first for the school. Kidomaru was the only known spider around the world. How Kin got him, no one knew. When she showed up with him a year ago he was already a Teen and a big pain in everyone's ass.

Soon Tenten and Lee entered with their Teen Companion's Kimimaro and Kabuto. Kimimaro was a Cheetah who seemed to match Tenten perfectly. Those two were on a mission to become the best of the best in the Battle Arena so far they fell at 43 the last time Sasuke checked. Kabuto was a Gorilla Companion. He was so at odds with Lee. Lee was a youthful screaming lunatic and Kabuto was a more calm perfected manner Companion. Many times Kabuto had to remind Lee to tone it down or do his work.  
Sasuke felt sorry for Kabuto. Lee was into running. He ran in the morning, durning lunch, and at night. Poor Kabuto was forced to go as well.

To his annoyance Karin came in with her own Teen Companion Suigetsu. Suigetsu was another Shark Companion that had only been a Teen for two months before he shifted and then entered the Battle Arena's. Three months later, he was at 48 and quickly making his way to the top of the ladder. Because of this, Karin thought she was the best. And being the supposed best she thought she deserved anything she wanted and what she wanted most was Sasuke. To bad that was never going to happen.

"Okay class settle down, Karin we know Suigetsu is a great fighter, but now it's time to learn." Iruka sensei said as his own Companion followed him in. Han was a weird five tailed Companion, who no one knew if he was a horse or a dolphin. When he shifted to his Beast form it was a mixture of the two. Han was also a very strong Companion landing in at 26. "Okay lets start where we left off yesterday-"

"Sorry I'm late Sensei!" Sakura called coming through the open door. "But Haku is still very curious."

Haku? Sasuked opened his eyes at the unknown name and spotted Sakura with a Chibi Snow Leopard. What the!

For the rest of the day, Sakura was the main focus of the school. Everyone wanted to see the little Chibi in her arms and for the rest of the day Sasuke was pissed. He was officially the last one in his class without a Companion.

When he was picked up to go home, he told Itachi about Haku and how he was the last to get a Companion.

"Aren't you getting one on your birthday?" Kisame asked as he chewed on the fish Itachi gave to him.

"Why don't you just swallow it whole? Your mouth is big enough." Sasuke glared.

"Because this is more fun, besides this lets me enjoy the fishy taste." Kisame smirked.

"Enough, I rather not hear another pointless argument. Kisame eat your food."

"Yes Master." Kisame grinned and gulped the giant fish up as he watched Sasuke.

Sasuke felt himself go green as bones and all disappeared inside the Shark's mouth.

X~x~X

It was six days later and Sasuke couldn't sleep. Tomorrow was his birthday and he would get his Companion then. His Father had promised him. He just wished that it would come already. Tossing and turning, turned to pacing and glaring at the clock.

Before Sasuke knew it his eyes closed around twelve, almost one, and opened a few hours later at seven. It took a second to realize it was the sun was shining but when he did, Sasuke jumped out of bed. Looking around he searched for his Companion. Where was it? Maybe his Father had it down stairs. Not bothering to change out of his pj's he ran out of his room and to the kitchen.  
"Where is it?" he asked exitedly when he spotted his father, who had yet to leave.

"Where is what?" His Mother asked, "Sasuke, this is not how we present ourselves at the breakfast table."

"Where's my Companion?" Sasuke asked moving to stand beside his Father as he read the paper. His Companion, Killer Bee, grumbled as he was forced to move one of his eight tails before it was stepped on. "Father where is my Companion?"

"I don't smell a new one." Yugito spoke as she purred under his Mother's hand, her two tails swaying behind her.

Sasuke ignored her as he continued to look at his father.

"Why does he get to go to breakfast in his sleepwear?" Kisame asked as he walked in behind Itachi.

"Because he sleeps with clothes on." Itachi glared as Kisame grinned and said something along the lines of 'it's more relaxing' or something. Sasuke didn't really care since he was waiting for his Father to reply.

Finally his Father looked up from the paper and into Sasuke eyes. "It didn't arrive today. Now go get dressed and come back down." With that he turned away.

Sasuke wanted to throw something. Stomping out of the room he made his way upstairs and threw himself into his bed. Holding a pillow to his face he screamed his disappointment. Finally after ten minutes of crying he went to the bathroom and got ready.

On his way to school he ignored Kisame's annoying taunts and his brother's 'happy birthday Sasuke'. He ignored all the looks people gave him and when his friends tried to speak to him he glared until the turned away. A few times Neji had to calm a growling Gaara. Companions were very protective of their masters, when they felt their masters were being threatened they became more animal then anything else.

Fu was in the same state as Gaara, but were Gaara growled, she simply glared.

School quickly ended and Sasuke was soon home in the silence of his room. Going to his dresser he opened the top one on the right and pulled out a black collar with the Uchiha crest on it. He then pulled out the silver chain that he had made for his Companion that did not arrive. Placing them back with the other things that would have went to his Companion he closed the dresser and went to lay down. Before he knew it, it was morning. Again he didn't have his Companion and again he was in a bad mood.

This went on for two more days and by then Sasuke was ready to destroy everything in that dresser, but each time he went to throw something away he always put it back. After a quiet dinner he went to bed and dreamt of himself being number one in the Battle Arena. His Companion was spectacular, but he couldn't see pass the blur that covered it.

When his alarm went off he sighed as his dream disappeared. Hitting the button that would turn off the alarm, he turned over and gasped. Sleeping beside him was a Chibi Nine Tailed Fox.


	2. Chapter 2

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke held his breath, almost afraid it was an illusion. Reaching out slowly he ran his right hand down the soft, silky, golden-red back of the sleeping fox. Moving his hand back to the tiny head he gently ran his fingers over the tine furry ears.  
With a grin over taking his features he moved to his knees and grasped the now startled fox around his belly. Holding him up face high he looked the fox over, running his eyes from his fluffy hair to his whiskers and finally down to the limp tails.

"YES!" Sasuke screamed excitedly as he jumped off his bed. Hugging his Companion to his chest he ran to his brothers room and threw open the door.

"Have you never heard of knocking?" Kisame grumbled as he used his own comb to brush his hair. After a few more strokes he put his comb down. "Perfect." he said moving his head from side to side as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Itachi! Where's Itachi!" Sasuke yelled ignoring the annoying shark.

"In his bathroom... What do you got there?" Kisame asked sniffing the air as he moved closer to Sasuke. "It smells like food."

"Stay away you ugly thing." Sasuke glared turning his body to protect his Companion. "If you touch him, I'll tell Itachi to neuter you!"

With a glare of his own, Kisame snapped his teeth together and growled before moving away from the furry bundle that smelled good enough to eat.

"Sasuke what are you doing in my room?" Itachi asked looking perfect as usual.

"Look what finally came!" Sasuke said forgetting about Kisame to hold his fox up in the air for Itachi to inspect.

"So you got your Companion." Itachi nodded as he took the still fox from Sasuke out reached hands.

Sasuke watched as his brother turned him left then right. Then he checked his paws, tails, teeth, eyes and ears. Through it all the fox never moved. With a frown Itachi put the fox on the floor and seemed to be expecting something. When nothing happened Sasuke looked up at his brother.

"What's wrong?"

Itachi's frowned deepened as he continued to watch the fox. "He's not moving."

"Maybe he's well trained." Sasuke said.

"No... that's not it..." Itachi shook his head as he snapped his fingers in front of the fox's face. Both boys watched as the fox only blinked but did nothing else. "Do you have his papers?"

"I don't know... maybe they're in my room. I didn't check." Sasuke admitted as Itachi picked up the fox and gave him back.

"Let's go check."

Following his older brother, Sasuke looked down at his little fox. What did his brother find wrong with him?

Once back in his room, both brothers looked around until they spotted a black binder on the dresser.

Right away Sasuke knew what it was. It was the book that allowed people to keep records of their Companions. There were pages you could feel out for personalities, food's they liked, toys they played, name, type and so on.

"Put him on the floor again and step away." Itachi said as he grabbed the book. Doing as he was told, Sasuke waited for whatever his brother planned.

"Not a pure breed but still rare. If he were a pure breed he'd be one solid color. His father was a nine tails and his mother a six tailed fox, so he got the fathers tails. He's only two weeks old, which is normal for a Companion when they are adopted." muttering to himself, Itachi flipped a few pages and frowned. "That's it. That's all it says. It doesnt say which foxes are his parents only the types. It doesn't have where he came from, what to expect... Sasuke, did anything else come with him?"

Looking around Sasuke shook his head. "I don't see anything. Itachi what's wrong?"

"Kisame," Itachi said instead.

"Yeah?" Kisame asked as he moved into the room. It was common knowledge that Sasuke hated having the shark anywhere near his stuff.

"Go toward him." Itachi ordered putting the book down.

Nodding Kisame fell to all fours and began moving toward the little fox. When he was only a few inches from him he looked toward Itachi.

"Try playing with it."

Nodding Kisame moved into a playful position and went to swipe gently at the fox, when nothing happened he growled at it. With a smirk, Kisame stood and stepped back. "Well, Little Itachi, it looks like you got a bust."  
"What do you mean a bust?" Sasuke glared going to pick up his Companion.

"He means, you're companion is... I guess the right word is slow. Normally Companions this age are curious. They look around and get into anything they can. They're playful. He should have tried to attack Kisame when he was invited. If threatened they usually show their bellies. He did none of this. He just sat there and did... this." Itachi gestured to the fox in Sasuke's arms.

"Maybe he's shy. This is all new to him. Besides why would he play with Kisame, he's lame and maybe he doesn't find him scary at all. He could be very brave." Sasuke argued. "And all that other stuff could be gone from the book because I need to fill it out myself."

"No, Little Itachi, he's lame in the head." Kisame smirked, "He'd make better food then anything else. He'd be better off feeding me." he added licking his lips.

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke glared.

"Sasuke," Itachi said glaring at his Companion, "Most of that information should have already been in the book. All you would have needed to fill out is what is to come from the day you get him and on. Like what he's like, what he enjoy's, hates, etc." Itachi sighed coming back to pet the little fox. "I wonder why father would get you such a slow animal."

"He's not slow!" Sasuke argued hoping and praying he was right. "He's shy!"

"You keep on believing that. When you stop lying to yourself and wish to get rid of him, I'll eat him." Kisame said as he walked out of the room, Itachi right behind him.

"But when I woke him up he jumped, Itachi, that has to mean something." Sasuke said wishing his brother would agree.

"I'm sure it does." Itachi sighed. "Speak to father and find out what's going on."

When his brother was gone, Sasuke looked down at the fox. If he didn't feel him breathing against his arm, he would have assumed the fox was dead.

"I'll speak to father." Sasuke decided as he ran out of his room for the second time that morning. Finding him in the kitchen, Sasuke walked up to him.

"Father?"

"Hm? Oh Sasuke, I see you got your Companion. Why arent you dressed?" Fugaku asked petting the little fox.

"Father, where did you get him?" Sasuke asked instead.

"You're Mother picked him. She saw him in a picture and just had to have him for you. Bought him that day." His father chuckled. "He's a bit small but I'm sure he'll grow."

"Itachi say's he's slow." Sasuke said sadly. "Kisame agrees. Say's he'd make better food then a Companion."

"What?" His father blinked. Taking the fox, he did his own expection. With a curse, his father handed him back. "I'm sorry Sasuke...I'm going to find you're mother." Just like that he was gone leaving Sasuke alone. His Companion right behind him as he watched the fox with a frown.

Going back to his room he put the fox back on his bed and glared, "Why did you have to be so stupid?" He asked before going to take a shower. When he came out his mother was sitting on his bed holding his stupid fox.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke." His mother said tearfully. "I just saw his picture and had to get him. He looked like stuffed animal. I didn't bother even checking anything else. When he arrived this morning I just brought him to your room without checking him over. I got caught up in the excitement."

"It's okay Mother." Sasuke said forcing a smile.

"No it's not. Now because of me you're never going to go to the Battle Arena like you always wanted."

"I'll just wait until I find another Companion to train." Sasuke said giving his mother a hug. "I love you Mother and I know you only did what you thought was best."

"Will you collar him? Or do you want me to take him to the shelter?"

Sasuke looked down at the fox who didn't even bother to look up. He could send him to the shelter, but the shelter his mother was talking about was the place they put down the Companions that lost it or were like this one. Could he kill this Companion just because he didn't meet his standards?

"No, I'll collar him." Sasuke said going to the dresser and pulling out the perfectly made collar. Taking it back to the fox he placed it around his neck. "I'll keep him. I can't kill him."

"I understand. Although some people stuff them to remember them or make them into real stuffed toys." His mother said wrinkling her nose in disgust. Sasuke was on the same page. To do that to a Companion, any Companion was cruel and wrong.

"I'll pass." Sasuke said taking his fox from his mother's lap. "I guess I'm off to school then." He forced a smile. On the inside he wished he could leave the fox behind but since he now had a collar, he was honored bound to take the fox with him where ever he went.

"Have a good day." His mother said kissing his forehead. Sasuke nodded and turned to walk out of his room.

That's when he saw his mother's Companion resting against the opposite wall of his door way.

The two tailed cat came forward as she sniffed the little fox's head. "He is different." she decided and moved out of the way.

Sasuke so did not need her to tell him that. It was already old news.

With the fox nestled in his arms he went the kitchen to get some toast before following his brother out to the car.

Taking small bites he tore a piece and held it in front of the fox's nose. Nothing.

"Did you name him?" Itachi asked suddenly watching them.

"What?"

"He has a collar so I assumed you named him. What did you name him?"

"What does it matter? He'll never come when I call him." Sasuke glared as he threw the toast on the floor.

"Can I eat him now?" Kisame asked leaning forward and chomping on one of the tails before either brother could stop him.

"Kisame!" Itachi glared pulling on his leash.

Kisame grumbled as he sat back, "I didn't bite hard enough to bleed him."

"Can he get any more stupid? He just sat there as Kisame bit him!" Sasuke glared at the annoyance on his lap.

Soon the car pulled up to his school. With a glare in place he opened the door and got out with his stupid fox. Ignoring all of the looks and the whispers he made his way to his locker and then to class. Sitting down he placed the fox on the floor between his feet. Maybe no one would notice him... Like they didn't notice when he walked in the building with him. He should have just stuffed him in his bag before he got out of the car.

"Sasuke, I heard you got a pet." Neji said coming in with Gaara, "Where is it?"

Sasuke ignored him as he willed his friend away, but of course, Gaara didn't help matters. Falling to his knees Gaara, sniffed under Sasuke's desk before grasping the fox with his mouth and dragging him out. Placing him on the floor he sniffed around him before frowning. Making some kind of purr growl noise he waited and stood up before moving to his spot by Neji's desk.

"He's... small." Neji said reaching down to pick him up. "I've never seen a Nine tailed before. This is the third rarest animal in our school now."

So what? Sasuke thought. He now had a rare, STUPID, fox... Great.

"Is this it?" Shino asked coming in and looking the fox over.

Fu crawled on to Sasuke's desk as she tried to see the fox. Smelling him, she licked his nose before sitting back and tilting her head. "He's different." she said and Gaara nodded.

Great, now everyone is going to know he has a slow Companion.

Soon more people joined their growing group.  
"Aw Sasuke, now we both have Chibi's." Sakura giggled as Haku playfully swiped at the fox with his paw. "Aw he's so cute!"

"Can I hold him?" Ino asked before placing Sai on Sasuke's desk and taking the fox. Hugging him to her breast she began squealing.

"What's his name?" Shikamaru asked boredly.

Sasuke pretened he didn't hear him as Kiba pushed his way into the crowd, his tail swaying back and forth as Hinata came right behind him.

With a sniff he turned away, "Nothing to get excited about." he said moving back so Hinata could pet the little fox. Stupid dog! Sasuke thought glaring at Kiba.

"Let me see." Karin said as Suigetsu pushed and growled his way toward the fox.

"Weak." he said, "Can I eat him."

Sasuke glared as Karin took the fox forefully from Ino's grasp. Why Karin of all people? He hated her. "What's his name?" she asked batting her eyelashes at him, the fox held against her breast a little tighter then needed.

Thinking of the first name that came to mind he said, "Naruto."

"I see... Sasuke, I challenge you." Karin said shocking everyone. Sasuke's eyes widen a fraction. How the heck did she expect him to fight with a chibi? Let alone a stupid one?


	3. Chapter 3

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

**X~X~X**

**dedicated to Princess Sin **

**X~X~X**

"Excuse me?" Sasuke blinked. He must have looked like an idiot, but right now it didn't really matter. He couldn't have heard what he thought he heard, right?

"I said, I challenge you." Karin smirked plopping his Companion on his desk. "Do you accept?"

"I will fight in Naruto's place." Fu said moving forward.

Once again Sasuke was shocked. Companions never fought for anyone but their masters.

"Fu?" Shino frowned, the only expression showing his surprise.

"If Master wishes, I'll fight." Fu said kneeling before Shino.

"Why would you fight?" Karin demanded. "You are not Sasuke's Teen."

"But he is Master's friend," Fu said not looking at her. "Do you fear a battle with me?"

"Ha!" Suigetsu snorted, "What place are you? Oh, that's right you haven't even made it to the top 100. While I am on my way to almost top 30."

"It does not matter." Fu argued. "If this is your way of backing out-"

"Why would I fight a Chibi against a Teen?" Sasuke asked interrupted, forcing away his surprise and pulling out his Uchiha I'm-better-then-you look. "A Chibi that is not even a month old." Plus really stupid, but you don't need to know that.

"Are you backing out from a challenge?" Karin taunted now ignoring a glaring Fu.

"If it's a pointless challenge." Sasuke glared.

"Why do you want to challenge him anyway?" Sakura asked.

"For a date. If I win, you go out with me. If you win, I wont ever ask you out again." Karin said moving closer to his desk, her hand resting on her bony hip trying to show off what she did not have.

"No." Sasuke said. "Your Teen would kill Naruto."

"A Chibi battle then." Karin countered not ready to let this go. Now was her chance to get Sasuke and she was so not giving it up for anything.

Sasuke knew what a Chibi Battle was. It was a 'first touch loses' between to Chibi's, where the first one to attack would lose, of course, you could try and get the other to attack or move, so long as you didn't touch them. It was a good way to see how your Chibi would be later in life. They liked play fighting with other Chibi's. The first Chibi to land an attack meant that it was going to be harder to train as it had less patience the longer it sat there.

"Okay." Sasuke smirked. There was no way his fox was going to lose. Maybe he had some use after all. Who knew his doing nothing would be his first victory.

Everyone's jaws dropped in shock. All of them thinking Naruto was never going to make it past five minutes.

"Are you sure?" Fu insisted stubbernly, "Master's friend, if you wish I will fight in Naruto's place."

"No, Naruto will fight." Sasuke said, "Thank you for the offer but I will refuse."

Fu looked troubled as she went to Shino's desk. No one caught the look between her and Gaara as they all watched Sasuke.

A minute after it registered Karin grinned. "Great, lunch time in the open field."

The open field was basically a dirt field that was as big as two football field in the back of the school. When training or bored students and even teachers would go there on their free time to just goof off or have fun.  
"Hn." Sasuke said dismissing her.

"Okay everyone get to your seats." Iruka said coming into the classroom. "Seems like we have a new guest." With a smile toward Naruto laying on Sasuke's desk he turned toward the board, "Chibi's and Teens down. The rest of you pull out paper and a pencil to copy notes."

With a smirk still in place, Sasuke put Naruto into his lap and did as told, never once noticing the look Naruto was getting from Han.

X~x~X  
By lunch time the whole school knew of Sasuke's rare Chibi and the battle between Naruto and Suigetsu. Students and teachers lined the fence that surrounded the field. On both sides were to entrances.

One, Karin had already entered through. With a gloating look she watched as Suigetsu ran around doing flips and getting the crowd pumped up.

So he's trying to make Naruto lose focus? Sasuke wanted to laugh at the stupid shark but didn't. He was going to show Karin why Uchiha's were the best. The battles they fought they won. If the battle would be a losing one they'd pull back and then come back to strike three times harder.

This battle, however, he had in the bag. Suigetsu was bound to lose interest way before Naruto ever did.

"Sasuke, are you sure you want to do this?" Neji asked walking beside him, Gaara only a small step behind Neji.

"Yes. I have this." Sasuke smirked entering the field and ignoring Neji's protest.

As he took his place at the end opposite of Karin, their principles, Hiruzen, came in with his monkey Companion Roshi. Hiruzen, if he stayed in the Battle Arena instead of retiring, would have been number one. He was that good and Sasuke wanted to be better.

"Settle down." Hiruzen said As Roshi stood behind him. "Now we have a first timer, Sasuke Uchiha and his Companion Naruto, a nine tailed fox who will go against, Karin and her Companinon Suigetsu, a shark ranked 48-"

"44, I moved up a few levels." Suigetsu smirked standing taller with pride.

"Thank you," Hiruzen nodded, "Ranked 44 in the Battle Arena, in a Chibi fight."

People cheered Sasuke on, making him hate how he had fangirls.

"Place your fighters." Hiruzen said moving away and noticed Roshi wasn't following him. Instead he watching Naruto. "Roshi?"

Blinking Roshi nodded and followed him out of the way.

"Okay Naruto," Sasuke whispered into the fox's ear, "Just do what you do and don't mess up. I don't want to go out with Karin. Even if you are stupid don't fail me."

When he got to the center of the field he sat Naruto down and then turned to go back to his place on his side of the field.

"I got this." Suigetsu smirked at Karin, "You owe me a bucket of fish."  
"Done. Now go win me my date, Naruto should fail after three minutes." Karin smiled already thinking of her date with Sasuke.

"Whatever." Suigetsu grumbled as he plopped himself down in front of the little fox. "You're going down foxy." He grinned.

The crowd, though this was going to be a boring match, still cheered for Naruto to win. After ten minutes went by and Naruto still refused to move, surprising everyone for how long he stayed still, Suigetsu began to growl. He wasn't allowed to attack, he could pretend to go at the fox but so long as he never touched him he'd be okay.

"Come on foxy, I want my prize." Suigestu grinned getting on all fours and trying to look playful. Yet Naruto didn't move.

In Sasuke's mind he was doing a happy dance. Come on Naruto, don't fail me.

"What is wrong with you?" Suigetsu growled pretending to jump at Naruto. "Are you stupid! Move damn it!"

"Hurry up Suigetsu!" Karin yelled behind him.

Ignoring her Suigetsu felt his body transforming into his third form. No one ever said you couldn't go Beast in a Chibi battle.

Sasuke saw Suigetsu changing forms. This could be bad. All beast forms tend to go a little dominate when others were around.

"What the hell!" some yelled, "That's cheating!"

"Nothing against it." Karin smiled sweetly at Sasuke.

Don't move, don't move, don't move. Sasuke chanted in his head.

Soon where Suigetsu stood now rested a White Shark, and before Sasuke could blink water began forming under and around him, dripping into the earth as it created a pool of mud sinking into the earth.

It was hard for Beast forms to have an element as an attack. Many people trained their Compaions to exhaustion to try and gain an element. Many times they never got anything but basic attacks. Everyone's Beast in the top thirty had an element. It was the reason it was so hard to beat them and take their place. It was the reason Itachi still had problems trying to move up and why his parents were almost number one but would never quite make it.

"Don't move." Sasuke whispered watching Naruto's still form.

"Play with me." Suigetsu grinned, his voice so deep it was hard to understand. To Sasuke, he sounded like something no one wanted to hear in the dark.

Sasuke felt his panic rising when Naruto's head tilted to the side before turning to look back at him. "Don't move Naruto." He whispered. "Don't you dare move."

It was as if Naruto understood him. Turning his little head back he continued to watch Suigetsu.

"It's been twenty minutes." Neji said to Shino who only nodded in shock. Behind them Fu and Gaara shared worried glances before they turned back to the battle. "He's playing with fire." Fu whispered so that only Gaara could hear.

Gaara nodded but said nothing.

"Fine if you don't want to play with me, I'll play with someone else." Suigetsu rasped jumping into the air before diving back into the body of water below him. As soon as he was out of sight, the water disappeared. Everyone waited in a tense silence to see what would happen.

When water exploded in front of Sasuke, he jumped back and covered his head with his arms. "What the-" he had enough time to get out before Suigetsu's head popped out of the muddy earth.

"Play with me." Suigetsu said before diving at the raven.

Sasuke fell backward at the speed the shark was going. Using his hands he tried to move his self back as quickly as possible.

"Suigetsu STOP!" Karin yelled fearfully. She was losing control of him. This wasn't good, in a Battle Suigetsu wouldn't stop until the other opponet was down for good. "I Command you to stop!"

"Ah!" Sasuke yelled as teachers and student watched in stunned silence at what was happening before them.

Just as Suigetsu would have attacked, something exlpoded again, tossing him back across the field. Lifting his head slowly, Sasuke felt his heart stop. Standing above him was a Beast. A Beast with nine tails. A beast that was bigger then any Beast, Sasuke had ever seen. "Na-Naruto?" He whispered in shock running his eyes down the fox's body to end at a paw that was a big as he was.

With a angry snarl, Naruto ran at Suigetsu, grasping him between his teeth and tossed him hard against the earth.

Suigetsu screamed as Naruto once again picked him up and bit down, shaking his head from side to side.

"Suigetsu!" Karin yelled with tears running down her face. "Suigetsu!"

Standing slowly Sasuke watched as Naruto dropped Suigetsu on the floor like a toy before taking a deep breath. With his ears flat against his head and his body arched, Naruto opened his mouth.

"Fire." Sasuke whispered shocked as the ball of flames hit Suigetsu dead on.  
"Stop! Don' t hurt him!" Karin's screams finally penetrated his ears. Blinking Sasuke watched as Suigetsu turned back into a Teen and laid unmoving. Before Naruto could grab him again Sasuke called his name.

When Naruto turned his giant head toward him, Sasuke walked slowly to the first Chibi to ever turn into a Beast. "Naruto." He said holding his right hand up. Turning his way, the fox made his way slowly and silently to Sasuke. Holding his breath, the raven froze as his Beast stood above him, slowly Naruto lowered his body until he was laying down with Sasuke between his front paws. "Naruto?" Sasuke said again in awe as he touched the silky fur. Before he knew it, Naruto was back to being a Chibi.

A Chibi that watched him with a blank stare.

"That was freaking amazing!" Someone yelled as they ran onto the field. Picking up his Companion Sasuke forced the shock away and smirked. He watched as teachers went to Suigetsu and Karin's side but he didn't care.  
Why should he?

As everyone cheered for Sasuke, no one noticed that none of the Teens or Chibi's came onto the field or the look of fear in their eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

As the day went on, all anyone could talk about was Sasuke and his Chibi Naruto. Sasuke liked this attention. Only a few weeks old and Naruto had already defeated a level whatever he was now Arena fighter. He had gained his third form and completely skipped over his second form only to return to his first form. Naruto was a Companion unlike any other and Sasuke couldn't have been prouder.

When it came time to go home, Sasuke walked out of the school with Neji and Shino.

"So are you going to put him into the Battle Arena?" Neji asked.

"Yeah." Sasuke smirked petting Naruto's sleeping head. "Pretty soon, I'm going to be top twenty and then number one."

"You'll be beating us that's for sure. Naruto is the biggest Companion alive." Shino said. "Tell us when your first battle is so we can go watch you."

"Aren't you guys in the Arena?" Sasuke asked confused, "We should just go together."

"If you enter Naruto, we won't be with you. We're both in the preliminaries. With the way Naruto fought he's going to go right in to the main battles." Neji said. "There's my ride. Bye." He said leading Gaara away.

Soon Shino left with Fu and Sasuke entered his own limo with Naruto craddled in his arms.

"I see you have a different attitude now." Itachi said reading a book as Kisame chewed on a fish skeleton.

"I am. Naruto made it better." Sasuke grinned holding Naruto up so they were nose to nose.

"Naruto?"  
"That's what I named him. Itachi you should have seen him, he was awesome!" Sasuke said and went on to tell them about their battle. Of course, Kisame didn't believe it and scoffed at everything Sasuke said. Itachi was surprised but nodded to every other word.

"Then he changed back to his Chibi form and everyone wishes he was theirs." Sasuke smirked hugging Naruto to his chest. "Soon, he's going to take you on Kisame and you are going to be nothing but fish food."

"He smells weak, if anyone is going to be food it's him." Kisame glared.

"Hn." Sasuke smirked and jumped out of the car as they arrived at home. "I'm going to tell mom."

Once inside he began calling for her.  
"In here Sasuke." She called from the sitting room.

"Mom, guess what!" Sasuke shouted happily as he ran into the room and stopped as he spotted a white haired man with a Fox Chibi playing on his lap. "Sorry, I didn't know-"  
"That's fine." The man said, "You must be Sasuke, I'm Jiraiya." Jiraiya smiled.

"Nice to meet you." Sasuke said going to shake Jiraiya's hand when he held it out.

"This must be your Chibi?"

"Yeah, this is Naruto." Sasuke grinned showing Jiraiya his Companion. "He just had his first battle today!"

"He want?" Jiraiya blinked in shock.

"Sasuke, honey that's impossible, your father and your brother both agree that, um, Naruto is slow." his mother said.

"But he's not, he went against Suigetsu and he won!" Sasuke grinned. "He was even in Beast form!"

"Sasuke-" his father started but Jiraiya cut him off.

"Sasuke, son, listen, the Fox Chibi you have, well he was never meant to be sold."

"What?" Sasuke asked feeling confused. Behind him he heard Itachi and Kisame entering the room.

"The Fox Chibi you have was never meant to leave my breeding ground. You see he's a very unique Companion that was sent out by mistake."  
"What's your point?" Sasuke demanded petting Naruto and holding him close.

"Sasuke, the man came to take him back. He brought you a new Chibi." his mother said nodding toward the Chibi on Jiraiya's lap.

"Sasuke, this is Sora, he's a purebred six tailed fox as you can tail by his black coat." Jiraiya said putting Sora on the floor.

"I already have a Chibi." Sasuke argued bending down to pet Sora. "He's playful."

"Yep, Sora is from one of the best Fox breeds." Jiraiya said. "He already has the makings of a wonderful fighter."

Sasuke nodded as he sat on the floor and let Sora climb on his lap to sniff at Naruto. "He's cool, but you're still not taking Naruto." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, Naruto, as you call him, needs to go back with me."

"No." Sasuke glared, "Naruto is staying with me."

"But-"  
"No, now if that's all you came for, I need to go sign up Naruto for the Battle Arenas." With that Sasuke got up and took off toward the stairs with Naruto in his arms and Sora running right behind him.

"Jiraiya, what exactly is so bad about Naruto?" Itachi asked when Sasuke was gone.

"Naruto was never meant to be put in the Battle Arenas or in any fight for that matter." Jiraiya sighed as he stood. "I'm going to leave Sora. Hopefully Sasuke will see the difference between the two Foxes and end up taking Sora." he pulled a book out of his bag and handed it to Itachi. "Here's Sora's information."

"If he doesn't?" Fugaku asked walking him to the door.

"I rather not get into that. Right now, the way Naruto is, is normal. He won't get a personality until he turns into a Teen. When that happens give me a call." Jiraiya added as he left.

X~x~X

In his room, Sasuke ran to his computer and turned it on. As he waited for it to load up he turned to Sora and placed Naruto on the floor. He watched as Sora pounced on Naruto right away and nibbled on his fluffy ear. Through it all Naruto just sat there and let it happen.

"What's wrong Naruto? Don't you want to play?" he frowned trying to get Naruto to play fight with Sora. When his computer dinged he turned away from his Chibi and logged in. Seconds later he was pulling up the Battle Arena website.

As he was filling out Naruto's information his brother came in with Kisame right behind him. "Here's Sora's book."  
"Why do I need it?" Sasuke asked not turning away from the computer. "Why does it take so long to fill this out?"

"Because Sora is yours too," Itachi said putting the book beside Naruto's. "Did you finish putting Naruto's information in?"

"Not yet. I wanted to do this first... What do you mean Sora's mine? I already have a Chibi." Sasuke answered shocked.

"Jiraiya left him so that you can see the difference between Naruto and Sora. He want's Naruto back."  
"He can't have him. Naruto's mine and I'm not giving him away. He can take Sora back."

"Sora's already yours." Itachi pointed out. Sasuke frowned and looked down at Sora. The little black fox was already making himself at home as he rubbed his scent into Sasuke's things.

"I can't take care of two Chibi's!"

"Then give Naruto up. The way Jiraiya said it, Naruto's going to be a handful or something when he turns into a Teen."

"So?" Sasuke said sending in his application and then going to fill out Naruto's book.

"Sasuke-"  
"No Itachi, Naruto is mine. He was made for me to take care of. We're going to go to the top and become the best there is." Sasuke said picking Naruto up and away from a yapping Sora. "Down Sora." he scolded. "Giving up Naruto would be like you giving up Kisame. I won't do it. Don't ask me too."

"Okay." Itachi nodded, understanding where Sasuke was coming from. At the same time he was worried. The way Jiraiya made it sound, Naruto could be dangerous. He didn't want his brother risking his life for a Chibi. "I leave you to get to know Sora. Come on Kisame let's go."

"That one doesn't smell like food." Kisame said nodding toward Sora before he walked out behind Itachi.

"Don't worry Naruto, we'll be the best there ever was." Sasuke said quietly. "I promise."

X~x~X

"Sasuke?" Itachi called from down stairs. "It's time to go. You don't want to be late do you?"

"No." Sasuke yelled gathering his things together and putting a leash on Sora and Naruto. It had already been a week since Naruto's first fight and since he got Sora. Jiraiya never called or demanded Naruto back, at least that he knew of. The school went crazy again when Sasuke appeared with another Chibi in tow and another Fox breed nonetheless. He was becoming the envy of the school but best of all, today Naruto would be entering the main battles of the arena. First they had to pick up Shino and Neji who both wanted to come and see Naruto's first battle.

Not only that but Itachi would get to see him in action instead of the other way around.

"About time." Itachi smirked as Sasuke came down holding Naruto and Sora running behind him.

"Sorry, I couldn't find Sora's leash. He keeps hiding it." Sasuke grumbled. "Training him is impossible since he wants to play more then fight. Naruto doesn't help any either since he just lays there and lets Sora play. The good thing is Sora is starting to learn patiences."

"That's good. If training Kisame was hard enough, I can't imagine training two."

"I was a good learner." Kisame argued as he climbed into the limo. "I was amazing."

"You ate my shoes when I was asleep." Itachi remarked when the limo took off.

"I thought they were toys."

"Anyways." Sasuke interrupted not really caring at Kisame's childhood. He lived through that Shark's Chibi years. If he could make it through that he could handle his Chibi's.

"Sasuke it's almost impossible to train two. Even people who have been training their Companions for a long time don't bother getting another one." Itachi pointed out.

"I know." Sasuke said running his hand through Naruto's fur as Sora played with his shoe. "I know what I'm doing."

"Don't tire yourself if it doesn't work out and if Sora doesn't make it to his Beast form." Itachi warned.

"I know." Sasuke said.

X~x~X  
Twenty minutes later they picked up Shino, Fu, Neji, and Gaara and soon they arrived at a arena. Not the main one of the Battle Arena but still an arena. This was one of the first stages of the main battles. People that entered this were the ones that tried to get into the top 100. Neji and Shino and a bunch of other people from his school entered the preliminaries so that they could prepare and get a feel for what was to come.

"This is exciting." Neji said as they all got out of the car and entered the building. "I've never entered this building. I saw them battle on TV but this is different."

"Tell me about it." Shino said wishing it was him entering this but he needed thirteen more battles before he could leave the preliminaries and they were all set up depending on how the director of it wanted it. Maybe in three months he might get the battles he needed. With a sigh he reminded himelf that he signed up for it willing and so knew the rules. Fifty battles in a space of one year. He should have been like Karin and just went straight to the main battles.

"Name." the man behind the counter demanded boredly.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Another one?" the man blinked then grinned, "You Uchiha's are everywhere. Holy crap you're Itachi Uchiha!"

At the sound of his brother's name people turned and then surrounded his brother. It wasn't every day one of the top 30 players was in an arena like this one and Itachi was even more famous because there was more then one Uchiha in the top 30. Sasuke was going to make the number change to four.  
"Finish up Sasuke." Itachi said as he began to give people his autograph and answer some questions.

So with people screaming in the background Sasuke finished signing in.

"Okay, now the only thing left is the Beast form transformation." the guy said behind the desk not really believing a Chibi could change into a Beast, but hey money was money. He hated to break the kids heart though.

"Okay." Sasuke said moving to the side that was blocked off. Handing Sora to Shino, Sasuke led Naruto to the room. "Do your thing Naruto." Sasuke said putting him down and letting him off the leash. When Naruto only just sat there he tried to coax him again. "Come on Naruto. Shift."

Looking up he noticed everyone watching him in silence. Meeting his brother's eyes he looked away in shame. How could he let Itachi see him like this? "Naruto shift." He demanded.

"Sorry kid, unless he shifts-"  
"He will." Sasuke glared.

"Okay, five more minutes then." the guy sighed.

"Shift Naruto." Behind him he could hear Sora yapping and whining. "Don't do this to me. Shift!"

"Might as well give up kid and let a real battler show you how it's done." a girl said walking in behind him with a big Bear Teen behind her. "Chibi's don't belong here."

Glaring Sasuke watched as her Bear Teen snapped at Naruto before turning to face the girl. "Jugo shift." the girl smirked at Sasuke and crossed her arms. Everyone gasped as a giant bear grew. He was huge but Sasuke knew Naruto would make him look like a child's toy. Jugo was only a little bigger then Suigetsu and look what Naruto did to him.

"Pathetic." He remarked blowing off her Companion.

"Excuse me?" she said glaring at him.

Sasuke smirked as Jugo began to growl at him. "I said he's pathetic."

"You-"  
"What is he, a stuffed toy?" he went on ignoring the shocked silence. Looking down he saw Sora had escaped Shino and now stood fatefully by his side growling.

"Another Chibi? Do you just pick up baby toys?" the girl asked.

"Fuuka stop playing with children. We need to go." A woman boredly sighed.

"Coming mother." Fuuka answered, "But first I need to teach this kid a lesson." She smirked.

"Why not fight someone like me?" Kisame asked striding into the room with Itachi. "I could use a fight."  
"Itachi."  
"Fuuka. I didn't realize you came back after losing your last Companion." Itachi asked with a lift of his brow, moving in front of Sasuke.

"Shut up." She glared, "This isn't your fight."

"She's right." Sasuke said stepping around his brother. "It's mine."

"Sasuke-"  
"Don't worry Itachi." Sasuke said, "Can you watch Sora?"

Itachi stood for what seemed like a long time before giving the younger raven a look as he grabbed Sora and walked out of the space with Kisame.

Turning to Fuuka, Sasuke smirked, "Idiots first." he said hoping his plan would work.

"You little shit!" she glared. "Jugo attack!"

As the giant bear got closer, Sasuke stepped behind Naruto and ignored the shocked gasp, Sora's whining, and his friends calling his name.

Just as Jugo reached them it happened.

With a roar Naruto shifted and grew. With his head bent, ears flattened and his teeth baring he growled. Naruto was so big that he had to hunch down in order to fit in the room. His tails were all scrunched up, some even moving dangerously over the shocked crowd watching.

"Told you your bear was pathetic." Sasuke grinned petting Naruto's leg.


	5. Chapter 5

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke enjoyed the stunned silence that followed his words. Looking around he saw everyone with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Even his brother was in a state of shock. His eyes ran all over Naruto's form and back again as he seemed to try and process what was going on.

Sasuke felt giddy that he finally outdone Itachi on something.

"He doesn't smell like food." Kisame whispered, breaking the silence. It was as if his words were opening a doorway as others began to voice their shock. Some even began cheering and taking pictures.

Through it all, Naruto only continued to growl and watch Jugo with narrowed eyes. His body tense and ready to spring at the first sign of the Bear Companion moving. Not that that was going to happen. Jugo was frozen stiff, unable to move as he stood whimpering, watching Naruto with scared eyes.

"Weren't you attacking?" Sasuke taunted Fuuka who stood just as scared as her Companion.

Fuuka moved her mouth as she tried and failed to form words.

"Fox got your tongue?" Sasuke smirked happily. With Naruto he was going to the top. No one had ever had a Companion this big.

"What the hell..." Fuuka finally got out. "What did you feed him?"

"As if I'd tell you." Sasuke rolled his eyes. Turning to the guy that was working on getting him into this arena he said, "When do we fight?"

"Uh," the guy gulped and looked from Naruto to Sasuke and back again. "Um, as soon as you get in there. Man, with him you should just skip this arena and move to the Battle Arena."

"I could do that?" Sasuke question. Wow he could be number one in a day! He'd finally be better then Itachi at something!

"No." Itachi finally said. "It's in the rules, no matter what your Companion looks like or his strenght you must face all the arena's leading to the Battle Arena. First Branch, Second Branch, Third Branch and finally Main Branch but that's only if you want to fight the top three."

"What!" Sasuke was so not liking his brother right now. Why did he bring him again? He knew all of these things. He memorized them since as far back as he could remember. Itachi and his parents were in the Third Branch. It was the branch reserved for top thirty players. Second Branch was reserved for Top sixty. First was the rest. Right now Sasuke wasn't in one since he had yet to fight. This Arena was to see if you were ready to join the First Branch. The Main Branch was the current leading brawlers. There was the Preliminaries but that was for people that wanted more practice before they entered this arena or one like it to got to the First Branch.

In first place in the Main Branch was the one Sasuke badly wanted to fight, Konan and her eight tailed Fox Companion Pain. Both had been at the top for over seven years, which was almost impossbile since none lasted longer then a year. Konan also made history because she was only fourteen when she went to first place and now she was twenty one. Pain was so far the strongest Fox alive, but Naruto would be better.

Then in second was Tsuande and her Slug Companion Utakata. Tsuande originally was running one of the Arena's until she decided she rather battle then do paper work, she was also very happy with second place and was great friends with Konan, seeing her like a sister. Utakata didn't seem to care. Only when Tsuande's position as second place was threatened did he actually let his emotion's fly.

Then in third was his father's annoyance, Orochimaru and his Snake Companion Anko. Orochimaru wanted to be in first place but because he nor Fugaku could get past the Slug, that fought like a demented demon, they never moved beyond that. Anko was said to be insane and if asked, Killer Bee would comment that she should be put down. Sasuke's father just smirked and said Anko just had a crush on his Companion.

"It is in the rules and the contract that you signed." Itachi stated putting Sora down who, unlike the others, ran up to Naruto and jumped on his paw.

"Fine." Sasuke said trying not to pout. "Lead the way."

Itachi gave him a small smirk and turned. Beside him, Kisame walked backward, always keeping Naruto in his sight. Shino and Neji quickly followed along with their own Companions both of which kept an eye on Naruto as well.

With another smirk to Fuuka and her stupid teddy bear, Sasuke looked up toward Naruto. "Come on Naruto." he said getting the Fox's attention. Immediatly Naruto turned his body toward the way Sasuke was going and hunched a little more. It was a good thing the whole building had high ceilings, otherwise Naruto would have gotten stuck. The doorway's were a tight fit. Sora seemed to enjoy the ride on Naruto's paw since he kept yapping and jumping or holding on for dear life.

Sasuke knew he should have ordered Naruto to change back but he really liked the looks of shock. For once they were directed at him. He liked that people froze when they saw his Companion or when people moved out of the way quickly to avoid getting ran over or swatted by one of Naruto's tails. Sasuke was sure he heard a few cracks forming on the walls when Naruto hit one by accident.

What Sasuke liked the most is when someone tried to come close to him and Naruto would growl and snarl until they moved away.

"Kid! Hey Kid!" someone shouted moving after him and then screaming like a girl when Naruto turned his way with baring teeth. Immediatly the Fox moved so that Sasuke was between his front paws and his tails were spread around him protectivly. Sasuke wished the ceiling was gone so that people could actually see how big Naruto was without hunching down.

"Yes?" Sasuke lifted his brow and picked up Sora from the floor. He must have fallen when Naruto turned to fast.  
"He broke through the wall." The guy said in shock. Turning to follow his gaze, Sasuke felt his mouth fall open. The wall that they just past now housed a giant hole and one of Naruto's tails. That wall was at least three feet thick. All the Arena walls were like that.

"Is there something you need?" Sasuke said turning from the wall. He hoped he didn't have to pay for that. He only got so much for his allowance. Although, with Naruto by his side, he'd be making bank once he got in to the top thirty. That's when people were paid to watch them fight.

"Need? Oh yes. I'm- AH!" the man cried out when Naruto lunged at him.

"No!" Sasuke yelled in shock.

Just as quickly as Naruto sprang he retreated and returned to growling and snarling at the man who was now as white as a sheet.

"Are you okay?" Itachi asked quickly moving to the man's side. "Did he get you?"

"If he got me I would be dead." the man rasped with a shaky voice. "He's amazing."

"And dangerous." Kisame put himself between Itachi and Naruto. Even if Naruto scared him he wouldn't back down if Itachi's life was in danger.

"He was protecting me." Sasuke said commanding Naruto to lay down and stay still. The Fox quickly did as told as he glared at the man with his cold eyes. When Sasuke began petting beneath his giant ear, he seemed to calm down but not by much. Sora seeing that Naruto needed to calm down, jumped from Sasuke's arms and onto Naruto's muzzle. Licking and yapping as he rested on Naruto's face.

"Of course, it's in their DNA to protect their masters." the man said. Clearing his throat he went on, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Nawaki Senju. My family founded the Battle Arena and the Branch offs. My sister is in the top three. My Granfather Hashirama run's the Main Branch now and my Great Uncle Tobirama runs the Third Branch. My aunt Toka runs the Second. And I run the First one." Nawaki smiled. "My sister should be running this one but she's to lazy so I'm over seeing it for today. Normally my Grandmother oversees this one but she came down with a cold."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Itachi bowed his head in respect to the older man.

"Hey now, no need to be formal." Nawaki grinned and blushed. "This is My slug Companion, Katsuyu. Like my sister I perfer the Slug Companion's to others."

"Hello." Katsuyu bowed her blue white head. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Is there something you need?" Sasuke asked. Though it was pretty cool to run into any family member of the Senju Clan, Sasuke really wanted to move on from this arena and get into the First Branch.

"Oh yes, silly me I keep forgetting. Your Fox tends to make one forget what they're talking about." Nawaki said with a slight blush. "I wanted to know if we could film your Fox for today's battle. Normally it's the Branches that get the spot light, but I think your Fox-"

"Naruto, his name is Naruto." Sasuke interrupted distractedly. He was going to be on TV! Everyone was going to see his Companion!

"Naruto, then. I think Naruto would be one of the Companions that the world wants to see. So what do you say? Care to be on around the world?"

"Yes." Sasuke grinned. "That would be okay."

"Great. Let me get the stage ready for your fight. It's a good thing it doesn't have a roof. I'd like to see what he looks like when he stands tall." Nawaki waved and turned away. "Head to stage four!" he shouted over his shoulder as he disappeared with his Companion.

"Did you hear that Itachi?" Sasuke asked turning to his brother. "Naruto's already famous."

"I'm proud of you Sasuke." Itachi gave him a small smile. "Mother and Father will be too. I'll call them and tell them to turn the TV on to watch you." he added as he pulled out his phone and motioned for Sasuke to go to stage four.

X~x~X

"Welcome one and all!" Nawaki said standing on his Slug's back in the middle of the stage. "I am Nawaki Senju." People cheered for him. "Today, I bring you a special treat. I bring you a battler and a Companion unlike any other, but first let's go over the rules. Rule one: there will be no outside influence from any other person or Companion. Once the two Companions are in the circle that's it. Rule two: Masters of the Companions can taunt one another or the other's Companion so long as they do not leave their perch on the stairs." Nawaki pointed to the small perch on each side of the stage. Rule three: enjoy the battle and scream to your hearts content!" once again people broke out screaming.

Sasuke stood with Sora resting on his shoulders and Naruto hovering over him in a half laying position. With one hand, Sasuke pet Naruto's furry chin and whispered that it was going to be okay. He saw his brother sitting beside Neji and Shino both of which looked very excited. Their three Companions each took a seat behind them, their eyes glued to Sasuke's place. Looking around he saw that all of the Companions looked uneasy. Some shifting and looking around as if they could sense what was about to happen. Their owners were none the wiser about what was going to happen.

"Before we begin, I want to tell you all something." Nawaki said breaking into Sasuke's thoughts. Turning to look at the man talking, Sasuke saw that the Slug was slowly moving around the stage so that everyone could see Nawaki equally. "This battle is going to be unlike any other, for that reason it will be going live!" shocked silence followed his words. "Trust me this will be a fight to remember. Now let's introduce the first battler and Companion." turning to the right and away from Sasuke, Nawaki held out his arm, "Kin and her rare Spider Companion Kidomaru!"

So Sasuke was going to be facing off against a class mate. Kin saw Naruto already at school but did she know she was facing off against Sasuke today?

As Kin came out on Kidomaru's Beast form the crowd went wild. People started to scream and cheer for her. Many thinking that she was the reason this fight would be on TV. After all there were only four Spider Companions that the world knew of.

"Now for our second battler and his Companion." Nawaki said turning to Sasuke. "Sasuke and his even rarer Fox Companion Naruto!" he shouted with a smirk, Sasuke walked out with Sora still on his shoulder and a few seconds later Naruto came out of the tight tunnel, stretching to his full hight. Moving to his perch, Sasuke looked toward Kin and noticed her face was a bit pale. Was she remembering what Naruto did to Suigetsu?

When a shadow fell over him, Sasuke looked up and noticed Naruto's giant form was now completely over him and moving past him to enter the stage that was, thankfully, very big.

People once again began to cheer and shout in shock for the giant Companion. The camera's were going wild as they tried to capture all of Naruto.

"Shall we begin?" Nawaki asked the screaming crowd. Kin nodded slowly and motioned Kidomaru to take her to her own stage. Kidomaru did so quickly and stood beside her. Fear showing in all of his spider eyes and his trembling legs. "Companions to position!" Nawaki shouted and moved off of the stage with his Slug. "Begin!"

"Ladies first." Sasuke said.

Kin nodded and took a breath. "Web." she commanded Kidomaru. Kidomaru jumped and took a few steps forward before he stopped and shot his spider webs toward Naruto, but because he was so afraid he missed Naruto and got the floor. People in the stands began to laugh. "Kidomaru, web!" Kin shouted again making him jump and take aim. Once more he missed.

"This is boring." Sasuke said turning his gaze to his Companion. Naruto's eyes glared holes into the Spider and his sharp teeth promised to do damage if the Spider came any closer.

"Kidomaru! WEB!" Kin shouted again getting annoyed with her Spider. When her Companion turned to her with his whole body, Kin gave him a reasurring smile. "We are good, we're going to the top. Nothing can escape your web. He's just one more Companion in the way of our moving on."

Kidomaru seemed to take her words in before he turned to Naruto and jumped. Sasuke blinked in shock as the Spider disappeared. He was fast. When Naruto roared in anger Sasuke turned to Naruto and noticed one of his eyes was covered completely by the Spider's web. The Spider that was now moving over his back as he stung at Naruto with his fangs over and over again with each step.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted in shock. "Attack!"

Naruto not waiting to be told twice used his tails and struck at his own back trying to get the Spider off. Each tail just missing the Spider by seconds. Kidomaru was fast.

"Roll!" Sasuke shouted trying to figure out a way to help his Companion. He wanted to use fire but it wouldn't help any right now. "Naruto!"

Sasuke watched as Naruto seemed to grow more desparate as he attacked his own back and threw himself on the floor. His only eye showing seemed to glow in an unnamed emotion and his teeth bared scaring every Companion watching.

"Web!" Kin shouted again as Kidomaru made his way toward Naruto's other eye.

"Fire!" Sasuke shouted. He'd never been in a battle such as this and so had no idea what to use. Heck his only battle before this was with Karin and that was pure chance and shock that he won. He was freaking out. He couldn't lose.

Fire shot out of Naruto's mouth and went everywhere, hitting the whole stage and still going farther to hit the stands. Companions around the stands shifted quickly and grabbed their owners before jumping out of the way.

"You really have no idea what your doing." Kin smirked from her own side. "How retarded can you get. That fight between you and Karin must have been just a one time thing."

"Shut up!" Sasuke glared angrily. Why wasn't Naruto doing what he was supposed?

When the ground shook under Sasuke, he grasped the handles to his side and turned to find Naruto on his side with his paws stuck to the floor by Kidomaru's webs. "Naruto..."

"It seems I win." Kin smirk grew as Kidomaru stood in front of Naruto's face, now covered completely in webs. "Air." she said.

The air began to pick up around the stadium and build above Kidomaru.

"Naruto." Sasuke whispered quietly. His voice lacking any kind of emotion. Naruto couldn't even open his mouth to shoot fire. His muzzle was glued shut. For the first time Sasuke was afraid. He was afraid that he would never be as great as his family or that he would be a disappointment to his brother. He was afraid Naruto was going to get hurt and be unable to protect himself. He was afraid that what happened to Suigetsu would happen to Naruto. Suigetsu was still healing and unable to really move. Naruto's attack was life threatening and Karin had yet to be seen at school. "Naruto."

When the attack hit Naruto, Sasuke shouted, "Naruto!"

"I win." Kin said as the air began to clear up and people watched in surprise that such a big Beast was beaten by a Spider less then half it's size.

Before Nawaki could make it fully onto the stage an explosion followed the blast of air sending fire and smoke flying everywhere. People screamed and Companions whimpered in fear as they stood protectively in front of their masters. Sasuke covered his face and turned so that Sora wouldn't get hurt. Only when the smoke cleared did Sasuke slowly turn and gasp as he saw Naruto.

Instead of the furry Fox he had come to know, Naruto now seemed to be made of fire. He literally looked like a demon from hell.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Naruto attacked Kidomaru. His fire eating at the screaming Spider. When his jaws closed around the Spiders body he snapped it shut and sent guts and blood flying. Only when he released the Spiders burning unnoticable carcass to fall to the floor, did people slowly stir again. All of them watching the Fox with fear, some running and other's watching to see what would happen next.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called toward his Companion as Sora whimpered in his arms. Naruto turned his firey features toward him and snarled again. Turning completely he made his way toward Sasuke and lowered his head so that they looked eye to eye. "Naruto can you hear me?" Sasuke whispered fearfully. Was this the reason Jiraiya wanted to take Naruto back? "Naruto?"

Naruto jerked away and threw back his head as he howled. Looking at Sasuke he attacked.


	6. Chapter 6

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

In slow motion, Sasuke watched as the burning fox came toward him, it's teeth sharp and dripping with sizzling drool. It's eyes filled with a promise of death. In his arms, Sora trembled and barked out his fear, trying and failing to be brave.

The closer it came, the more Sasuke felt his nearing end. Closing his eyes and flinching away, he waited for the attack that would kill him and Sora.

The splash of water caused Sasuke to jerk and blink as water continued to rain down on him and strike the burning fox from all angles. Looking around, he watched in awe, as Beast of various kinds attacked Naruto over and over again.

Screeching in a painful way, Naruto threw his head back and moved his body from side to side. The screeching continued on making Naruto sound like some high pitched banshee. Falling a few more steps back, Naruto's tail flaired as fire worked its way around his body.

It grew higher and higher until it flew from him and attacked the stadium. Gasping Sasuke found himself in Gaara's arms as the Companion flew toward the entrance. In his Beast form, Gaara was huge and terrifying but at the same time, he still looked small. He wasn't as big as Jugo or Suigetsu but he was close.

"Are you okay?" Neji asked once Gaara placed Sasuke near Shino and him. "Did he hurt you?"  
"No, I'm fine. He didn't hurt me... Neji I don't know what happened." Sasuke said looking around Gaara's protective form as Beast still went at the fox. "Why did he attack me?"

"I don't know, but Itachi and Kisame are still out there fighting him off." his friend answered.

"There are a lot of water Beast users that are helping. I even saw some earth and wind Beast." Shino added as Fu stood inches behind him. Like Gaara, her eyes glued to the entrance.

Sasuke tried to see more of what was going on, but Gaara seemed to move to block more of his way. He heard Naruto's roar- Not Naruto. That thing wasn't Naruto. It couldn't be Naruto.

He flinched everytime he heard a Beast cry out in pain and he held onto Sora even tighter when he heard the sound of something big hitting the floor followed by the swoosh that could only be an attack. Finally everything went silent. Did they take it down? Was Itachi okay? Was Naruto okay? Pushing past Gaara, Sasuke ran back toward the entrance and gasped as what was once a burning Beast.

Naruto was back to being furry and now completely drenched in water. His body was tied down by the earth and he wasn't even moving. Putting Sora down, Sasuke ignored the calls for him to stop and ran to Naruto. Kisame grabbed him just before he could reach out and touch Naruto's muzzle. "Let me go!" Sasuke called trying to reach out to his Companion. "He needs me!"

"He's dangerous." Itachi said jumping off Kisame's back to land beside him. "Sasuke he attacked-"

"It wasn't Naruto! It was a monster, not Naruto!" Sasuke said unable to break free. "He didn't do anything!"

"Sasuke-"

"He's my Companion! He's mine! I won't lose him! He's mine!" Sasuke shouted angrily almost desperately. "You can't hurt him!" Why wouldn't they let him near his Companion? Naruto wouldn't hurt him. That thing would but not Naruto. Naruto kept him safe. Naruto was special. "Please!" he begged turning to meet Itachi's gaze. "Please big brother, please."

"Kisame." Itachi finally said.

As soon as Sasuke felt the hold on him loosen, he ran toward Naruto and gently ran his hands up and down his trembling muzzle. He was cold. "Naruto?" he whispered softly as the fox trembled beneath his hands. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Naruto whined softly but didn't open his eyes. Sasuke watched as the fox moved his mouth slowly open and close but the only thing to come out was more pain filled whines. "Don't move Naruto, you're going to be alright. Chibi." he ordered softly and watched as Naruto's body grew smaller and lost his features until once again he was in Chibi form.

Since he was no longer a danger, Beast began calling back their attacks at their masters command but Sasuke didn't care as he picked up his Chibi gently and held him to his chest. Naruto's body was still shivering from the cold. Running a hand gently down Naruto's face, Sasuke turned and with Sora on his heels, made his way out of the stadium.

He walked all the way through the now silent building with his head bent over Naruto's form. He knew people were watching and moving farther away from them as he, his brother, and his friends walked by with their Companions. Once in the car, Sasuke let go of the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Running a hand down Naruto's fuzzy fur to try and dry it up, Sasuke felt lost. Beside him Sora rested his body against his side and licked at Naruto's tails, trying in vane to dry them.

"Sasuke," Itachi started, "Mother will want you to send him back."

"No." Sasuke answered pulling Naruto closer. "He's mine."

"He's dangerous." Kisame growled. "If not for us Beast, you and your other Companion would have died."

"I can't get rid of him. Naruto is mine. He's attached to me-"

"He has yet to leave his scent mixed with your things." Kisame cut him off. "When you walk into your room, you smell Sora, not him. Naruto has yet to bond to you-"

"Then explain why he protected me from Suigetsu and then Jugo. Why he followed what I told him as he tried to fight Kidomaru?"

"Why is Suigetsu still healing and Kidomaru dead?" Kisame countered. "Never in a Beast fight, in any of the arenas, has a Beast killed another."

"It wasn't Naruto." Sasuke said glaring at the shark. "It was something else."

"You're delusional. That thing is what your fox becomes when he's angry." Kisame argued back. "Every Beast out there felt the killing intent he was throwing off. Every Beast felt the moment he had decided to kill the spider and then you. Ask these two if you do not believe me." he said pointing at Gaara and Fu. "Tell him."

"It's true." Fu nodded. "He was not sane anymore. He was-"  
"It wasn't Naruto." Sasuke glared at her. "It wasn't Naruto!"

"Sasuke-"

"Shut up Itachi... Naruto wouldn't hurt me. That thing wasn't Naruto." After that no one spoke another word. After dropping off his friends, Sasuke found himself home. Not wanting to meet his mother at the door, he picked up Sora and dashed toward his room. Slamming his door as he heard his mother and father calling up the stairs. Locking it, Sasuke held both foxes in his arms and walked backward until his back hit the opposite wall. Slowly he let his body slide down and watched as the door jiggle as his parents try to get him. Closing his eyes he buried his face into the foxes fur and cried.

What seemed like hours later, Sasuke finally seemed to wake from his state. Putting Sora down, he stood up and grabbed a t-shirt from his dresser to dry Naruto. Using four more, Sasuke finally wrapped one of his smaller blankets around the fox and held him to his chest. Moving to the bed he picked up Sora and placed Naruto between them. Closing his eyes again, he begged for Naruto to be okay before he fell asleep.

The next day, Sasuke woke to find Naruto sleeping comfortably and Sora snoring as he rested on his back with his legs in the air. With a small grin, he ran a hand through Naruto's hair and froze as the fox opened his eyes and turned to face him. With what looked like a smile forming on his face, Naruto crawled up out of the blankets and licked Sasuke's face.

It shocked him to see Naruto acting like a Chibi. Was this the result of the- no he wouldn't think about that. Putting that out of his mind, Sasuke picked Naruto up and laughed as the little fox yapped, waking Sora up.

With a thoughtful look, he put down Naruto and watched as Sora and he began to play. For a long time, Sasuke watched as the two foxes jumped on one another and tugged on eachothers ears.

Only when a knock sounded at his door did he remember he had to face his parents again. Looking toward his window, he debated running away. He had enough money in his piggy bank to last a while and when Sora and Naruto were better trained, they could enter the arenas again and play for money.

"Sasuke?" Itachi called from the otherside of the door.

Who was he kidding, Sasuke wouldn't know the first thing about living on his own. He'd probably die on his first day on his own.

"Sasuke?" Itachi called and knocked again.

"Coming." jumping off the bed, Sasuke realized he was still wearing yesterdays clothes. With a sigh he tried to iron out the wrinkles with his hands. Opening the door, he met Itachi's worried gaze. "Yeah?"

"Mother and Father wish to speak to you." Itachi finally said as Kisame waited protectively behind him.

Sasuke knew what his parents wanted to talk to him about. He wasn't going to give up Naruto no matter what they threatened or ordered. Turning back to his bed, he blinked as he saw Naruto sitting there, unmoving, like he did when Sasuke first got him. Sora was panting beside him with a smile on his face. Unsure of what was going on, Sasuke ordered Sora to jump onto his shoulder as he picked up Naruto and turned to follow Itachi down stairs.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Sasuke said once he was in the sitting room with his parents.  
"Sasuke-" his mother started.

"Why is Jiraiya here?" he demanded as he saw the whited haired man. "If he's here to take Naruto, he can forget it. I'm not giving Naruto back."

"Listen young man-" His father ordered.

"No, you listen," Sasuke glared at his father, "Naruto is mine. I don't care what you say or order, I'm not sending Naruto away. You can't make me and it's against the law to remove a Companion from its master."

"That is true." Jiraiya nodded, "But you see, the law states that if the Companion in question is dangerous then he or she can be taken away and put down."

"You want to kill Naruto!" Sasuke gasped in outraged. On his shoulder, Sora began to growl and in his arms, Naruto didn't move. "You can't kill him!"

"He was supposed to be put down with the rest of them!" Jiraiya snapped. Seconds later his eyes widen at his words.

"The rest of who?" Sasuke's Father asked as he turned to face the man. "Jiraiya?"

"The experiments." Jiraiya finally said. Running a hand tiredly down his face, he went on, "Naruto is part of an illegal experiment. He's a fifth Generation Fox. The first Generation were six very strong foxes that we had paid owners to take their sperm and eggs and mixing them with other DNA that we had aquired or created. It wasn't easy to do. The second Generation Fox was created for the purpose of making a new breed of foxes but we were quick to realize how unstable they were. Some of us wanted to end it right then and there and some of us wanted to continue. They said that we just needed to make modifications and the new breed woud be okay."

"I've never heard of the Generation Fox." Mikoto frowned.

"No one has. We only planned to advertise them once they were okay to adopt." Jiraiya went on. "The second Generation was a problem from the get go. Their Chibi forms developed too quickly and they attacked anything that moved. Getting them to breed was almost impossible. So to make the third Generation we took sperm and eggs from unconcious males and females and later put them down. Using what we had taken, we matched the calmer foxes together and grew them in a tube. At first we thought we succeeded but this batch was even more dangerous. For a while we watched them, hoping they would calm down and finally we saw that this new breed wasn't going to work. It was called to an end and all of the foxes were put down. What we didn't realize was that those that wanted to continue them, still had samples from the second Generation and now the third. On their own, they created the fourth. We were able to track all but one of the scientist down and we later learned that four of the fourth Generation, one male and three females, were gone as well."

"What happened?" Mikoto said with a hand over her throat.

"We found the man that had taken the four foxes, but before we could put him away, he took his life and let the foxes free to attack us." Jiraiya stood and moved toward the window. "By then, he had already breed the foxes and had created six more. When the last fox was taken down, we found a den but no foxes. We realized then that there were more out there, four to be exact, and have been tracking them since. We found all but one," turning to Sasuke, Jiraiya looked down at the fox in his arms, "Naruto."

"What were you trying to accomplish?" Itachi asked, a hand holding Sasuke in place to keep him from running.

"We wanted to make a stronger breed of Companion. We decided to experiment on the foxes since they were an easier breed to work with. The purpose was to see if we could make a Companion last longer in a fight, be stronger, learn faster and the likes. Instead we found them taking on more then one elemental attack, skipping a step in the aging process, change their bodies completely into it's element, and growing to be larger then the average Beast." Jiraiya said. "Naruto so far has shown three of these things and like the others, he lost control. In his Chibi form he's like the second Generation, unmoving. He skipped a stage in the evolution process and went from Chibi to Beast like the third Generation. Then turned into his element like the fourth and lost control."

"I don't care." Sasuke stated. "You aren't going to kill Naruto."

"Sasuke, he's dangerous. We have no idea what the man mixed to make the fifth Generation or how dangerous he's going to become. We have an idea from the previous-"

"I don't care." Sasuke cut him off. "It's your idiots faults for messing with what you shouldn't. Why could't you just breed them until you created a new brand of fox instead of mixing what doesn't belong in their blood? That's how all breeds are created. Now because you guys made a mistake, you want to take Naruto so you can put him down? No."

"We have to. If we don't he'll lose control again and this time he may succeed at killing you." Jiraiya argued back. "He could kill your family, their Companions, Sora, and everyone near by!"

"And it would be your fault, not Naruto's." Sasuke glared. "You can't have him back. Naruto won't hurt me. That thing wasn't Naruto."

"It's not safe-"

Without waiting for him to finish, Sasuke turned and headed back upstairs. He wasn't giving up Naruto. If anything, Sasuke was more then determined to save his fox. Naruto was a victim not the enemy. Sasuke would make the world see this. "I won't let anyone hurt you." he whispered into Naruto's ear. "You and Sora are mine. I won't lose you guys."

Putting both on the bed he knelt in front of them. "I promise to protect you." to his pleasure, both foxes looked like they were grinning. Naruto was already changing, he was showing emotions. He wasn't anything like the first Generation and he wouldn't be like any after. Sasuke would see to that. He'd make Naruto normal even if it killed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke wasn't looking forward to school today. He could already anticipate the reactions he was sure to recieve. He knew the school would have a problem with Naruto being there but Sasuke wasn't going to leave him because people were afraid.

All that had happened at the arena was not Naruto's fault. None of it was. Sasuke knew this and, someday, so would everyone else.

"I'll keep you safe," Sasuke said turning to Naruto who sat on the bed watching him. "It's my promise to you."

With a a soft yip, Naruto stood up and bunched up his body befoer jumping. Sasuke grunted as he caught the little fox. With a laugh, he held the little Chibi closer. When Sora began to tug at his feet, he laughed again and reached down to pick up his other Chibi. "Okay guys, lets go face our enemies."

With a deep breath, he rested Sora on his shoulder and kept Naruto in his arms. Walking out of his room, he ran into his brother and Kisame.

"You're taking it to school?" Kisame asked surprised. "What if it attacks?"

"He's not an it," Sasuke glared as he stalked passed the shark and down the stairs. Once at the kitchen table, he ignored his parents and their Companions looks as he held Naruto in his lap and fed himself, Sora, and Naruto bacon from his plate. As he munched on his toast, that Sora kept trying to eat, he looked up and met his Father's stare.

"Sasuke," Fugaku said.

"Yeah?"

"You do not have to be wary of us."

At his Father's words, Sasuke frowned.

"We aren't going to force you to get rid of him." his Mother forced a smile. "Your Father and I talked about this last night and... Though I don't want him anywhere in this house or near us, I've agreed with your Father to let him stay."

"Out of everyone, I figured you'd try to get rid of him the most." Sasuke said in shock as he turned to face his Father.

"I know," Fugaku nodded. "I'm kind of surprised myself."

"Why?" Sasuke asked as his hands tightened slightly on the fury body in his lap.

"Because all things deserve a chance and the best things in life are made from risk. Naruto is... I guess the risk we are all going to take a chance on. I'm going to do some research about these Foxes that they experimented on and go from there. I'll put some of my best people on it and see what turns up."

"Thank you Father," Sasuke grinned.

"Now both of you get to school before you're late." Fugaku cleared his throat and waved them off as he turned back to his newspaper.

Without waiting to be told twice, Sasuke practically skipped to the waiting car.

"I hope Father knows what he's doing," Itachi said once the car was on the move.

"Naruto isn't dangerous." Sasuke stated with a glare.

"But it is," Kisame argued. "What's to stop it from killing us right now? What's to stop it from changing and going crazy?"

"What's to stop you from doing the same?" Sasuke demanded angrily. "Just because your body doesn't get as big or change like his does, doesn't mean anything. Naruto lost control, so what? Find me one Beast that hasn't lost control in a battle."  
"None went so far as killing another," Kisame growled. "He is dangerous-"

"So are you, just because you follow orders and commands doesn't change that." Sasuke could feel the anger eating at him. On his shoulder, Sora began to growl and tense as Naruto simply watched everything. "Naruto is just another Companion with another form. He's just another Companion with different rules to learn. I'm not going to give up on him and no matter what you say, he isn't dangerous."

"He is!" Kisame shouted. "He isn't normal! Didn't you hear anything Jiraiya said? He's an experiment gone wrong! He could kill us and not even care! He's a monster, no, he's a demon! He shouldn't even be alive! He-"

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke shouted. When the car pulled over by his school, he grabbed his stuff and stalked out of the car. Ignoring the stares and the fear of everyone, Sasuke went into the school and straight to his first class.

"Demons don't belong here," Kin said as she stopped right in front of him before he could open the classroom door. Her eyes red and puffy as she glared at him with more hate then Sasuke had seen on anyone.

"Get out of my way," Sasuke said.

"Kidomaru is dead because of that thing,"

"Get out of my way,"

"My Father is going to make sure it's put down in the most painful way possible. If he doesn't I will." Kin promised as she shouldered passed him.

Trying hard to control his temper and Sora's temper, Sasuke stalked into the classroom. Immeditaly everyone already in there quickly left, leaving only three people and their Companions. "Aren't you going to run too?"

"Too tired to get up," Shikamaru yawned as Choji continued to snack on whatever was in Shikamaru's bag.

"He didn't kill us in the car," Shino stated as Fu watched Naruto with narrowed eyes.

"Gaara will protect me," Neji said as he ran a hand through the red head's hair to calm him.

"Whatever," Sasuke said softly as he took his seat. Sora, tired of riding on his shoulder jumped on to his desk before climbing into his lap beside Naruto. With a yawn, the litte fox closed his eyes and curled his tiny body around the fox that was causing a stir amongst the school grounds.

"Why is everyone in the hallway?" he heard Iruka's voice through the closed door. "The bell is going to ring in two minutes."

"But it's in there," someone answered as Iruka pushed through the door and paused at the sight of Sasuke. Sasuke watched as his teacher's eyes darted to the fuzzy bodies on his lap before looking toward the students outside.

"Okay class, why don't we all take our seats." Iruka said gesturing for everyone to enter the room. "Class?"

"I'm not going in there and risking Haku," Sakura said as she stayed in the hallway. After her statement, many others said the same thing.

"What if it attacks us? Or kills another Companion!" Ino practically yelled. "Do you know how rare Sai is? His breed is dying! DYING! I'm not going to help kill them off just because it shares a class with us!"

"Ino-"  
"No Iruka sensei," Ino cut him off as she glared through the doorway at Sasuke, "I will not risk my Companion, nor will I take him in there with that thing!"

"There are three other students in here with Sasuke and his Comp-"

"Their funeral," Kiba muttered as he blocked Hinata from coming any closer.

"Are you guys really afraid of a Chibi?" Shikamaru's lazy voice came loud and clear over the other students voices.

"That Chibi killed-"  
"Last time I checked, that thing was an evolved Beast," Neji cut Sakura off. "Chibi's don't kill." under his breath, Sasuke heard him add, 'I hope'.

"That Beast came from that!"

"Really? I haven't noticed." Shikamaru answered sacrastically, "Choji?"

"Yeah?" his Teen asked.

"Does Naruto feel dangerous?"

Pausing in his quest for more food, Choji lifted his head and sniffed. "Nah, can I eat the chips now?"

"Go ahead," Shikamaru said rolling his eyes as he turned to face everyone at the door, "See if Choji didn't feel anything then none of you should feel worried. Boars are good with their instincts. Choji is no different. Can we start class now? The sooner we get started the faster I can go home." the lazy teen added as he yawned and made his way to a desk in front of Sasuke. Immediatly after, Choji followed him and plumped his chubby body down as he continued to eat.

After a large hesitation, Iruka eventually got the class inside the classroom, all of which sat on the other side of the room save for Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru. As Iruka began to lecture, Sasuke leaned forward and whispered 'thank you' to Shikamaru. In turn, Shikamaru just yawned again and fell asleep.

By lunch time, Sasuke had dropped from the most popular kid in the world to the most hated kid. Where girls once screamed his name, they now scorned it. And though Neji and Shino had stuck by him in class, they were still keeping their distance at lunch.

"Sasuke!"

At the sound of his name, Sasuke stopped in his track to meet Kin's cold stare and that of her friends.

"Did you need something?" Sasuke asked with a glare already in place.

"I think it's only fair that you lose your Companion the way I lost mine," Kin hissed, "What do you guys think of that?" She asked her two friends Dosu and Zaku, twin brother that also, surprisingly, had twin Teen Companions, Sakon and Ukon.

"I think you're right Kin," Dosu nodded with a cruel smirk in place. With a tilt of his head, Sakon moved forward. Two steps behind him, Ukon followed his lead. The twin rats grinned at one another as they moved to circle Sasuke and his Chibi's.

The first thing Sasuke noticed was there was no one near by. Without realizing it, he had pretty much made his way away from the school and isolated himself from the others.

"Idiots," Sasuke said trying to sound braver then he was. Growls were erupting from Sora's tiny Chibi form. With a soft bark that sounded more cute then dangerous to Sasuke's ears, Sora jumped from his favored place on Sasuke's shoulders and tried to make himself threatening.

"Ooooh we better watch out Sakon," Ukon said with a smirk, "That one might go Beastly on us!"

"No, Ukon, it's the other one that we have to worry about," Sakon growled. "This one is nothing but an annoyance."

"Shut up and kill that thing before it shifts," Kin ordered.

"Do as she says," Zaku said when the twin rats looked as if they were going to argue.

"Yes Master," Ukon nodded.

"Stay away." Sasuke commanded. "Or-"

"Or what? We'll be sorry?" Kin smirked, her face filled with hate. "No, Sasuke, you made a mistake when you took Kidomaru from me. Now it's time to pay you back for that."

"Aren't you worried Naruto's going to kill you or them?" Sasuke asked them as he tried to figure a way out of this. He couldn't chance Naruto changing. Not yet anyway. Not with him unable to control his Beast form.

"No, because if he changed he'd go for you too," Kin laughed cruely.

"Enough of this," Dosu said, "We're running out of time."

"Yes Master," Sakon nodded eagerly and kicked Sora away. "Lets play."

"Get off of me!" Sasuke yelled as Ukon grabbed him. "Don't touch him!"

"This little thing causes too much problems," Sakon said in surprise as he raised Naruto in the air by the back of his neck. "This little thing killed our friend."  
"Let him go!" Sasuke yelled, struggling to break free.

"Okay," Sakon nodded and before Sasuke knew what the rat was going to do, he pulled back his arm and threw Naruto as hard as he could.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled as the tiny Chibi went flying through the air. The second Naruto hit the ground, Sasuke pulled free and ran after the Fox with Sora on his heels. "Naruto?" he whispered in fear as the tiny fox refused to move. "Naruto?" With a shaky hand, Sasuke gently ran his fingers over the soft fur. "Naruto can you hear me?"

"Serves him right," Ukon laughed, "I think you broke him."

"Good," Sakon nodded.

Ignoring them, Sasuke sat watching Naruto as Sora nuzzled the unmoving fox with his nose. "Why didn't you shift? You did before when Suigetsu was going to hurt me. Why didn't you do it again?" he whispered. "Why did you let them do this to you?" with tears falling down his face, Sasuke turned hate filled eyes toward the three watching. "You'll regret this."

"Trust me when I say I won't." Kin glared with just as much hate. "An eye for an eye."

Sasuke let his hair cover his face as he turned to look down at Naruto's still form again. When his shoulders began to shake, Dosu laughed.

"He's crying- Why are you laughing?" the teen demanded angrily.

"I think he's gone crazy." Zaku said taking a step back as Sasuke continued to laugh. "Stop laughing!" All three teens along with their Companions watched in shock and fear as Sasuke continued to laugh. When something dark moved beside the small teenager, they turned their gaze to a growling Sora.

Instead of the cute, nonthreatening growl, they heard a growl that scared them. When Sora slowly began to stalk toward them, they all took one step back before they could stop themselves.

"I'm not scared of you," Sakon said moving to stand in front of his master as Ukon did the same for his own. "A Chibi pretending to be something that it's not is sad."

"But he's so much more then he lets on," Sasuke smirked as he lifted his head. "Sora, don't let them get away with this."

With a look over his shoulder, Sora turned back to face the five in front of him. In a blink his body shifted showing off a well defined Teen. His fangs showing just passed his lip as his eyes turned to slits. Behind him his tails rested high above him as he crouched and growled.

"Don't mess with us Fox," Sakon said copying his movements. "I won't stand for threats against my Master."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." Sora snarled as he flew at him. In mid air, both Teens met and held fast. Their blows drawing blood as they continued to strike. Snarls mixing with growls and grunts.

"Ukon!" Zaku yelled.

With a grunt, Sora fell to the ground with the added weight. As both twin Teens held firm, he continued to fight and hold his ground..

"Sora!" Sasuke shouted as he stood quickly. Even with the twins landing blows, Sora wasn't giving up. His anger even greater then their's. Sasuke knew Sora was fighting for him and he knew that his Companion was also fighting for Naruto. "Sora!" he called again and made to help his Companion.

"Allow me," Someone said from behind Sasuke. With a gasp, Sasuke was moved behind the newcomer and in a flash the Teen joined the fray. In seconds, both he and Sora had the other two on the ground and whimpering in pain.

"What's going on here!" a teacher shouted as he ran toward them with a few others. "Break it up or all of you will be suspended!"

"Stop," Sasuke called to the two Teens fighting for him.

"Of course Master," Sora smirked and pulled back.

The blonde one nodded and did the same. When he turned to face him, Sasuke could only stare as the Teen stood there proud and strong.

"Naruto?"

With another nod, Naruto continued to watch Sasuke with an unblinking stare.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted happily and ran to the Teen. Wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist he grinned. Naruto was average size for a Teen. Like Sora, his body was made for strenght and power. He stood at least five inches taller then Sasuke and each one of his tails were probably just as long as the Teen himself. Two of them wrapped around his waist, hiding his privates the way Sora hid his own. "I thought... You weren't..."

"You're alive!" Sora shouted and jumped the blonde from behind. "You're alive!"

"What is going on here and why are these Companion's naked? Who's are they?" Genma sensei demanded.

"They're mine." Sasuke answered as he moved to stand between both watchful foxes. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Both of them are yours? But..."

"We shifted," Sora rolled his eyes, "We're amazing. We're hot. We're the new envy of the school because we are so awesome. Now unless you want us to corrupt little kids with the way we're dressed, I say you let us go home."

"Sora," Sasuke started already feeling a headache coming on. Seems like he was getting a Companion like Kiba anyway.

"What? I'm only stating the truth." Sora pouted, three of his six tails waving behind him. "I'm amazing! I took on two-"

"They attacked us!" Dosu shouted as he used his sweater to put over Sakon's bleeding wounds. "They came out of no where and-"

"If that doesn't smell like shit, I don't know what does!" Sora shouted quickly.

"Enough!" Iruka said bringing them all to silence. "Who started this?" he demanded as he looked from Sasuke, who stood between his two Companions, to Kin and her group who knelt beside the twin rats. "This is against the rules. You can be expelled for battling without a teacher present. All of you can be expelled for this."

"They attacked me," Sasuke answered, bringing all eyes to him. "They wanted to kill Naruto."

"He deserves to die for what he did to Kidomaru!" Kin yelled angrily.

"Watch it girl or I'll-"  
"Sora you're not helping matters," Sasuke muttered to the angry Teen beside him.

"But Master-"  
"Sora,"

"Fine," the fox pouted and crossed his arms in annoyance. "I was only trying to-"

"Sora,"

"Explain yourself Kin," Iruka demanded.

"My Companion is dead because that demon killed him. If not for that thing, Kidomaru would be here!" Kin shouted as tears ran down her face. "My Kidomaru was killed by that demon!"

Sasuke glared as he moved to stand in front of Naruto. "That is no excuse to attack another student." Hiruzen said bringing everyone's attention to him. "Kin go with Iruka sensei to his class. Sasuke bring your Companions with you and come with me."

"Yes sir," Sasuke said as he followed the old man. Five minutes later, Sasuke sat in his office with his two foxes sitting by his feet in borrowed pants. "Am I going to be expelled?"

"Not expelled." Hiruzen sighed as he faced Sasuke, "But You will be asked to leave the school for the time being."

"What? But why?" He couldn't get kicked out of school.

"I've had call after call from parents-"

"To get rid of Naruto," Sasuke cut him off bitterly. "Naruto isn't dangerous. Why won't anyone see that?"

"Sasuke, I believe you but with the amount of calls I've gotten-"

"How many?" Sora demanded.

"I can't answer-"

"How many?" came the quick snarl that made Hiruzen's Companion tense.

"Every student's parents."

"So what's going to happen to me? If I don't go to school here, where do I go?"

"We'll supply a tutor for you." Hiruzen said with a sigh. "It's the best I can do. If I could fight this I would but I have parents, board members, and many other people calling in because of Naruto."

"Obviously you didn't fight hard enough." Sasuke said with a cold look.

"Sasuke, if Naruto was sent away you'd be able-"

"Whatever," the young raven hissed as he stood up and stalked out of the room. Making his way out of the school, he ignored everything. It didn't surprise him that his family's car was already waiting for him. Once seated, Sasuke sighed and turned to face Naruto.

"I am sorry Master," The blonde said, bowing his head in shame. "Because of me-"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke said cutting the blonde off, "We're just going to try harder to make them see the truth."

"Yeah, you're one of us," Sora nodded quickly, "and it's us against the world."

Them against the world, Sasuke thought, he couldn't have said it better himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Sasuke," his mother called from the kitchen the second he started up the stairs. "Can you come here."

With a sigh in place, he turned around and made his way back down stairs with his Companions. Why did his mother have to be here? Was his father here? If word got out about how he was no longer in school... He didn't even want to think about it.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked as he pushed the door open. Immeditaly he spotted his mother mixing something while her Companion stirred another thing on the stove. With her two tails, Yugito cleaned up the pots and dirty bowls that they had no use of anymore.

"Explain why you... They evolved!" Mikoto gasped when she turned to face them. "They're... lovely."

"Hot not lovely," Sora interjected and puffed up with pride.

"Yes of course." Mikoto nodded as she took a step back, allowing Yugito to move in front of her.

"I'm not going to attack you Mother," Sasuke whispered. It hurt, even more, knowing his Mother feared his Companions. Out of everyone so far, he had hoped his mother would have changed her attitude somewhat and be more accepting of this.

"Sasuke I don't fear you'll attack me. It's just that-"

"You fear Naruto will." Sasuke cut her off. "Mother, Naruto isn't dangerous. He's the perfect Companion."

"Sasuke, I know you believe this but," he watched as his Mother hesitated before going on, "Have you thought again about Jiraiya's offer? I mean with Naruto-"

"I'm not going to put him down!" Sasuke glared. "If you loved me, you wouldn't force me to even think to get rid of him. If you cared for me, you'll be more opened minded then this! You'd be like Father and help me, not hurt me!"

"Sasuke, you will no raise your voice at me." Mikoto said angrily. "I am your Mother and as such I will do what I think is best for my family."

"Getting rid of Naruto won't make everything better." Sora said quietly, bringing all sets of eyes to him. "Might as well get rid of me too and while you're at it, get rid of Master because where one of us goes, we all go."

"How dare-"  
"I have to go upstairs." Sasuke cut his Mother off again. "I wouldn't want to hurt Yugito." With that he turned on his heels and turned away. Why couldn't she be like his Father? Why couldn't she accept this more easily? She said she loved him but if she did she wouldn't try and force him to be rid of Naruto. He knew where she was coming from, but Naruto wasn't dangerous. It was the Evolved Beast that was and if Sasuke could somehow control that form...

"What do we do Master?" Sora asked as he dropped himself on the bed as Naruto went to sit beside it. Taking a seat as his desk, Sasuke sighed. "Do you want to run away?"

"No, if we run, it'll prove them all right." Sasuke answered. "We need to prove that we are strong and that we aren't dangerous. If we get them on our side, no one would worry about you Naruto."  
"Yes Master," Naruto nodded as he crawled to sit beside Sasuke. With his head in Sasuke's laps, he looked up, "What do you wish of me Master?"

"First we get clothes for you guys and then we are going to train. Hopefully, by next month, we'll be back in the Arenas." Sasuke answered honestly as he turned his computer on.

"Can I get clothes that show off my body?" Sora asked hopefully. "I want them to see how hot I am and how jealous they should be of you for owning something as amazing as me!" he went on as he moved to stand in front of the mirror. "I think I'd look good in black."

"Can we tape his mouth Master?" Naruto asked. "He talks too much and I rather not hear him go on and on about himself."

"HEY!"

"That sounds like a good idea, Naruto," Sasuke nodded, "I think black tape would look good on him."

"HEY!"

X~x~X

"Okay, are you guys ready?" Sasuke asked both Companions as they stood facing eachother on both sides of his family's private training grounds. This was already their second week of training. Sasuke thought that both Companions were doing good and he knew Sora was on the verge of evolving to his Beast form. But of course with Sora, they had more arguing then training. For the last four hours since his lesson ended with Iruka Sensei, Sasuke had been trying to get the Teens to practice but Sora was being difficult like always. If anything they had at most an hours worth of training and this was one of Sora's better days.

"Of course, Sexy Six Tails is ready to go," Sora boasted as he showed off his black work out pants.

"If I knock him out can I train by myself?" Naruto practically begged.

"Jealous of my body too, huh?" Sora nodded knowingly, "Don't worry, if I was you, I'd be jealous of myself as well. But lucky me, I don't have to be. If you want I can show you how to look good... black isn't your color by the way. I'd say blue or something br-"  
"Sora!" Sasuke groaned in annoyance as he ran a hand over his forehead. "Concentrate."  
"But I am!"

"He means on training, not yourself." Naruto pointed out.

"What's better then me? Nothing!" Sora grinned. "Can we play that song again?"

"I am not playing Sexy Back or that too sexy for my shirt, or whatever the heck that song is. I will not play any song with 'sexy' in it." Sasuke glared.  
"But they make me-"

"No!"

"Fine." Sora pouted and crossed his arms. "It's tough being beautiful."

"Master, I-" Naruto started only to shut down when the side door opened, allowing Itachi and Kisame to walk in. Like always, Sasuke noticed that Naruto would become an empty shell for anyone that wasn't Sasuke or Sora. He could be laughing one second but when someone entered he'd become as blank as a doll. He didn't know why that was and had even asked Naruto. The only thing the fox would say was 'I can't help it. I am not bound to them and feel no need to act out toward them.' Every one of his family members thought Naruto was dangerous and stupid because of this but Sasuke knew the truth. Naruto was only his and would only let his real self free with just him. None of the others mattered to the blonde fox.

"Heard I was working out huh?" Sora asked the newcomers. "Yeah, I would have come too."

"Sora," Sasuke sighed as he moved to stand beside Naruto.

"That Beast hasn't eaten loud mouth?" Kisame asked with a scowl.

"This is too pretty to be eaten." Sora gestured to himself. "Besides I see you drooling to get a hold of my goodies."

"Sora!"  
"Master, he practically pants like an animal in heat when I'm around!" Sora went on dramatically.

"Is there something you need Itachi?" Sasuke asked as he ignored his annoying Companion. He offically had one worse then Kiba.

"I came to train Kisame for his next battle." Itachi answered as Kisame began to stretch his arms and crack his neck, the whole time glaring at Sora. "Are you almost done?"

"Not even close," Sasuke sighed. "Sora keeps dancing and singing. I had to stop him from stripping."  
"He's not going to be a good Beast," Kisame answered, earning a glare from Sora. "Might as well give up on him."

"Kisame." Itachi said at the same time Sora snarled in anger.

"It is the truth. Sasuke was given the short end of the stick. He gained a dangerous Companion and that Companion tainted the other one."

"Enough," Itachi ordered. "Well come back when you're done-"  
"Why not train with us?" Sora glared at Kisame. "Well see how good of a Companion I really am. We can do a Teen fight."

"One idiot against me?" Kisame smirked. "I'd tear you to pieces."

"No you against me and Naruto. No Beast forms-"

"Only because you have yet to gain one and might not even gain one for a long time to come." Kisame cut in.

"-or anything involving Beast forms," Sora went on, "Anything goes beyond that."

"How do I know that one won't turn into a demon?" Kisame lifted his brow. "I rather live another day-"

"Do you accept or are you a coward?" Sora taunted. "Are you afraid?"

"I am not afraid." Kisame glared.

"Pussy."

"You're on,"

"Itachi?" Sasuke asked turning to face his brother's blank face. With a nod in return, Itachi moved to one side of the training ground opposite of Sasuke. "Okay let-"

"May I join?" Fugaku asked as he moved into the room with Killer B. "Or is the battle already set?"

"You can be on Itachi's team," Sasuke answered kind of surprised that his Father was joining them. The only one that still refused to be near Naruto was his Mother and Yugito. The two tailed cat always hissed when the blonde fox was seen.

"Yes Father," Itachi agreed and waited for Fugaku to take his position. "Rules are simple, nothing involving Beast form. Everything else is usable."

"Alright. Ready Killer B?"

"Yes Master," the Companion nodded.

"You first Sasuke," Fugaku gestured at him.

With a nod, Sasuke faced both of his waiting Companions, "GO!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Like one, both of the Foxes took off running across the floor, one going left and the other right. Both with determination in their eyes.

"Kisame!" Itachi said. With a nod, the Shark went to meet Sora head on. Only to give chase as the other turned quickly away.

"Bee," Fugaku nodded.

With a smirk, Killer Bee jumped into the air as Naruto's tail struck where he once stood. With a tilt of his head, Naruto used his tails to toss himself up after the Eight Tailed.

"Not a chance Fox," Killer Bee said as he began to turn within the air, his tails flowing out like blades as he came back down.

"Dodge!" Sasuke shouted watching Naruto protect himself with two of his tails, falling back quickly to the floor. "Good job, Naruto! Don't give up!"

"Jump!" Fugaku called and waited ad Killer Bee went back into the air, "Tunnel!" He said loud enough for his Companion to hear. Moving his tails, so they covered his head and pointed up-word like an arrow, Killer Bee tilted his body until he was facing the ground, spinning wildly in a 360 formation, with his tails completely surrounding his upper body, he came down like a bullet.

"Protect!" Sasuke shouted, watching as Naruto used the move he and Sora had practiced. Crouching down, Naruto made a dome with his tails, disappearing behind the furry wall. Out of nowhere, Sora came running, catching Killer Bee around the waist and forcing him into the wall. With a flex of his tails, Sora pushed himself back, barely dodging Kisame, who had been chasing and growing angry with Sora.

"Watch it fish food," Killer Bee grunted as he and Kisame slid down the wall. "Those two are strong."

"The damn pretty boy keeps running," Kisame growled pushing himself to a standing position. Turning around, he looked at the two crouched Foxes watching them.

"They have a plan in mind." Fugaku said. "Kisame's is built for speed and Bee is built for agility but they are using their strenghts against them."

"They are good." Itachi acknowledge with pride in his brother and his two Companions. "But we can't let him know that."  
"Of course," Fugaku smiled at his oldest son.

"Are you two giving up?" Sasuke asked the two Companions.

"No," Itachi answered. "We are only getting started."

"Killer Bee," Fugaku said, not bothering to give an order.

"Be ready," Sasuke told his two Companions.

Moments later, both Kisame and Killer Bee moved. In a blink, Kisame disappeared as he began to run around the room, circling everyone and going faster with each turn. Killer Bee moved to the center of the room and lifted himself up higher, using his tails as extra legs as he planted himself and began to rock his body back and forth until he was doing a complete circle, his tails never wavering from their place.

Sasuke knew exactly what his Father and his brother were planning and he already had a plan in mind to stop them. If Kisame kept going, his speed would be so fast that he'd begin striking without the other seeing him. He could get in seven hits before his opponet could blink. If Killer Bee kept spinning, his tails would, one by one, curl around him until he was nothing but a spinning circle set loose upon the field. Once all eight tails were wrapped around him, he was almost impossible to touch as he bounced around the ground, each turn and move he did planned out to the 'T'. This move only took less then thirty seconds to complete. Sasuke always thought this move Killer Bee used, reminded him of the blue hedge hog on the video games he used to play.

"Sora, stop Kisame. Naruto, stop Killer Bee." Sasuke said loud enough for his Companions to hear.

X~x~X

"Gottcha," Sora smirked as his eyes focused on the blue blure that was getting harder to see. It would have been easier to jump Kisame if the Shark had decided to keep running around the room, but now he was zig zagging everywhere. He'd have to time it right if he wanted to catch the Shark. Knowing that that path the Shark was taking wasn't random but a very disguised pattern, he lowered his body and braced his tails. Building up strenght in his legs and tails, he waited for the perfect moment and sprang low, looking as if he would miss the Shark.

For a brief second, he met Kisame's stunned gaze as Sora wrapped two of his tails around both of Kisame's legs and pulled with all his might. With his other four tails, he caught Kisame before the Shark could hit the floor. When both stopped moving Sora stood and looked back at the Companion caught within his tails. Four of his tails wrapped around Kisame's arms and legs and the other two tightened around the Shark's waist and neck.

"So what were you saying about me being a bad Companion?" he asked the glaring Shark.

"Let go." Kisame growled as he tried and failed to move.

"Not until I'm ordered." Sora's smirk widen as he turned to watch his Master.

X~x~X

Naruto ran toward the spinning Companion. Knowing that if he was too late to stop him, the other would win. He couldn't let his Master lose. This win meant more to Sasuke then any other and it was his dream to make his Master's wish come true. Whatever Sasuke wanted, Naruto would give. He had disappointed his Master enough in his short time with him and now he would make the raven proud. He'd show everyone why his Master would be the best.

Narrowing his eyes, he bent his knees and jumped over the spinning Companion. Wrapping two of his tails around two of the three tails still braced on the floor, he landed on the other side of Killer Bee and began to pull. Feeling the other lose a little balance, Naruto used his remaining seven tails to brace himself and pull harder. Feeling one of the two remaining tails forcefully pull itself to wrap around Killer Bee's body, Naruto grunted in pain as his tail was being tightened around the other. When the last tail began to wrap around Killer Bee, he pulled harder. He was built for strenght and if he wasn't strong enough, he'd get stronger. This was as much for him as it was for his Master. If he made Sasuke proud, then he'd be content.

"Don't give up Naruto!" he heard Sasuke encourage. "I believe in you!"

Biting his lip, Naruto felt his second tail being pulled into Killer Bee's body. Deciding to let the other finish his move, he wrapped two tails around his body as the Bull Companion began to circle him, turning his body with each cirlce the other made. Naruto felt each hit upon his tails but held strong. Letting four more of his tails get pulled into Killer bee's constant circle, Naruto felt his body jerk back as the Bull tried pulling him a different way. With his claws, Naruto dug into the ground and held on. He would not let the other lead him.

Peeking through his tails, Naruto saw the other Companion coming at him. Lifting his three free tails, Naruto struck. Two tails went into the tiny cirlce as the third wrapped around, until Killer Bee looked like yo-yo spinning on his back. Holding back a cry of pain, Naruto focused all his power into the two tails holding Killer Bee in place and began to lift them slowly above his head. With Killer Bee going one way and Naruto pulling the other, it was a long drawn out struggle.

For Master, he thought. With one last ditch effort, he forced Killer Bee above his head, all but two of his tails coming free and falling limply behind him. With the two around him, Naruto wrapped them tightly around the limp tails and then took a breath. Building power in his seven tails he lifted and lowered them a few times before he slammed them against Killer Bee, pulling his last remaining tails free, and watched as the Bull Companion went spinning wildly toward his own master. At the last second Killer Bee caught himself above Fugaku with his tails.

Lowering himself to the ground in front of the older man, the Bull turned to face Naruto, his face dripping with sweat and slightly flushed.

"So do you give?" Sasuke asked his Father.

Fugaku blinked, the only thing showing his surprise. "How?"

Shrugging, Sasuke called Sora and Naruto to him, "I've studied all of the top 30 Companions and how they fight in a Teen and Beast Battle, since I was a kid."  
"How does that allow those two to take out Kisame and Killer Bee?" Itachi asked as a sulking Shark crouched beside him. "They aren't easy targets."

"In a Beast battle, maybe," Sasuke nodded and walked toward his Father and Itachi, "But you guys don't put much effort in a Teen Battle. I mean, all top 30 battlers usually have one move in a Teen battle that they rely on, where as the Beast forms, they have at least five." running a hand through Naruto's tails to sooth the pain he knew Naruto must be feeling, he went on, "Since I got kicked out of school, I've spent my time between lessons with Iruka Sensei and training. Half of the things I used to train Naruto and Sora were old videos of the stronger Companions and how they fight, from the now top 30 to the first Companions to ever be in the top Arena. Watching them a few times over, I had Naruto and Sora come up with a few moves to stop the main moves of the Companions. I noticed most battlers and their Companions use the same moves with slight differences."

"You're saying those two have moves to stop all top 30 Companions in their tracks?" Itachi asked shocked by how much his brother had done to make his Companions number one.

"Well, I had some moves in mind since forever, but without Companions at the time they were just thoughts. With Naruto and Sora, I had one or the other mimic, as best as they could, and the other figure a way to stop them. To be honest, I wasn't sure if it would work." Sasuke grinned. "I want to be ready for when I hit the Main Branch. They fight with their Teens and shift to Beast on command in the second portion. I want both my Companions to be ready."

"That is amazing Sasuke," Fugaku nodded proudly at his youngest son. "What about Beast forms?" he asked thinking of a certain Snake. He and Orochimaru always went back and forth in a Teen battle as they fought for third place. Once they shifted over to Beast form it was hard to tell who would win. Both were either constantly in third place or in forth but never really in either. If he had a way to constantly keep Orochimaru off his back for the rest of their lives, he could focus on Tsuande and then Konan.

"Not entirely." Sasuke sighed and took a step back as Naruto stretched his tails at his command. Seeing all nine tails back to their original state, he turned to his Father, "I have ideas but without the Beast in mind here to practice on, that's all they are."

"It's hard to stop a Beast move once it's on the go," Itachi said.

"Exactly," Sasuke nodded, "Which is why I need Sora and Naruto to shift so we can train and make our own moves. I want to do more then five on both attacks and defense."

"Has Naruto shifted?" Fugaku asked warily.

"No, he has trouble shifting on demand." Sasuke answered honestly. "I think we're both kind of worried about what would happen if he did shift. So we both agreed to have Sora shift first and then work on his own Beast."

"Sora?"

"Yeah, Naruto trust both of us and all three of us agree that if Sora was to be in Beast form while Naruto was in his own, he'd be able to help Naruto keep himself in check. You know, something familiar."

"You are familiar," Itachi said once again surprised at how much Sasuke had thought everything through. Not even he, himself, had put this much thought into anything. He mostly focused on Kisame's strengths and weakness. He did study his opponets but he didn't disect them. Maybe Sasuke's way would be the key to going beyond his position and hitting top ten.

"Yes but I'm not big," Sasuke said. "Sora would be bigger, Foxes are usually huge and slim, not as huge as Naruto, but they can hold their own. We're hoping that if Naruto loses control, Sora can hold his own."

"Still think I'm weak?" Sora asked Kisame.

"No, just stupid,"

"Yet I was smart enough to see your pattern and knock you on your ass." Sora smirked.

"Though Sora can be a handful at times," Fugaku said looking at said Companion stuck his tongue out at Kisame, "I know you'll do well when the time comes to make your mark on the Battle Arenas."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Sasuke grinned.


	10. Chapter 10

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Sora are you ready?" Sasuke asked the panting Companion.

"Yeah." Sora nodded tiredly as he stood straight and took a breath.

"Go." Sasuke ordered and watched as the Fox concentrated on calling forth his Beast form. Even if they had successfully turned into Teens, the Beast form was proving a challenge for Sora. Sasuke needed the Fox to go Beast if he was going to put him into the Arenas again or if he was going to train Naruto's Beast form. "Why is he struggling so much?" he asked the blonde Fox sitting beside him.

"He changed too fast into a Teen and the Beast is another level that his body has yet to adapt to." Naruto answered. "Teens can't switch over unless their bodies are ready."

"I know that." Sasuke said as Sora's aura seemed to create its own wind. "You know when you fought Suigetsu?" at Naruto's nod, he went on, "You changed over when he went for me."

"It was my instincts to use a form that would protect you." Naruto said. "It does not always work."

"How do we know? I mean, not many Companions are willing to attack people. Who's to say that's not another option?" Sasuke questioned as excitement ran through his body. "What if we have another attack me?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Naruto shook his head and turned back to face Sora, who was still working on drawing his Beast form. "I fear I may go rabid too."

"Not if you're the one attacking me." Sasuke said as he stood up to face the blonde.

"I don't understand." Naruto frowned in confusion.

"If you attack me, Sora will change."

"Master, no," Naruto shook his head as he moved his sitting for a bit away. "I almost killed you once-"

"You won't really be attacking me." Sasuke cut him off. "Just make a show of it so Sora thinks you are."

"It won't be real?" Naruto questioned fearfully. "I won't really attack you?"

"No, Naruto." Sasuke smiled gently as he moved closer to the Teen. Reaching up one hand, he ran it gently through Naruto's hair and over his ears. He knew that his would soothe the blonde. He knew he was asking too much from Naruto but it had to work. Sasuke couldn't accept failure. He needed to move on to the second level of training. "You'll be acting."

"I..." looking slighlty calmer but still fearful, Naruto bit his lip. "If Master thinks it's best."

"Yes." Sasuke nodded quickly. "Do it now before he stops trying to evolve." he ordered.

"Yes Master," Naruto answered hesitantly. Before Sasuke knew it, Naruto grabbed a handful of his shirt and hoisted him into the air. Gasping, Sasuke clutched onto the Fox's arms. "Master?"

"You just caught me by surprise," Sasuke said faintly as he ran a soothing hand down Naruto's arm, "Keep going."

"I don't wish to." Naruto shook his head and slowly started to put him down. "Master please don't make me-"

"It's an order." Sasuke stated. Seeing the torment cross the blonde's face, he wanted to take it back. He knew Naruto didn't want to do this but was unable to stop now. Finding himself higher in the air, Sasuke stilled as Naruto growled. His features changing slightly. "SORA!" he shouted catching the other's attention.

"Master! Naruto what are you doing!" Sora screamed as he ran to their side. "Stop Naruto! Don't do this!"

Growling at him, Naruto flashed his sharpening fangs. Behind him, his tails began to move dangerously in a fierce dance. Each of them hitting the floor in a rapid beat.

"Sora help me!" Sasuke shouted, trying to remind himself that this was all for Sora to shift. That Naruto wouldn't hurt him.

"Naruto! Please!" Sora begged. "I don't want to hurt you!" When Naruto made no signs that he heard him, Sora grabbed on to his arms. "STOP!" he screamed.

On a snarl, Naruto used his tails to push the other away, uncaring of where he landed. Turning back to Sasuke, he narrowed his eyes and moved to bite him.

"NO!" someone screamed, "Yugito save him!"

Running at them, the two tailed cat shifted.

"NO!" Sasuke said quickly. "Mother stop!"

"Save my baby!" Mikoto shouted. "Kill that demon!"

"No! Naruto put me down!" Sasuke screamed as he scrambled to free himself. Doing as told, Naruto placed him gently on the floor. "MOM-" was all Sasuke got out before Sora grabbed him, taking him away at the same time Yugito hit Naruto with a gust of air. "No! Sora let me go!"

"Master-"

"It's not real!" Sasuke shouted as the giant cat sent Naruto flying across the training grounds. "Naruto!"

"Yugito! Wind!" he heard his mom yell. Struggling to get free of Sora, Sasuke watched as Naruto stood and swayed on his feet, his head shaking as he tried to clear it. Turning to his Mother he gasped as Yugito took a deep breath and arched her back. "NO! Release me Sora!" he demanded, barely catching himself on his hands and knees as the fox did as told. "Naruto!" he screamed getting the blonde's attention. In slow motion he saw Yugito's attack strike the blonde, sending him flying into the wall behind him. He saw Naruto's eyes widen and the pained silent scream before the attack over took him. "Naruto!" he screamed as he ran to his unmoving Companion.

Falling to his knees, he craddled the Fox's bloody head in his laps and cried. "Naruto I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you do it. I'm sorry. You didn't want to... I'm sorry."

"Sasuke get away from that thing!" his mother shouted as she moved across the room to his side.

"What's going on?" Itachi asked running in.

"That thing was going to kill my baby!" his mother snapped. "I told you father we should have-"

"It wasn't real!" Sasuke screamed, pushing his mother's hold off of him. "It wasn't real!"

"Naruto?" Sora whimpered beside the blonde, crawling over to him, he licked at Naruto's face, trying to wake him.

"What do you mean Sasuke?" Itachi frowned.

"I wanted to get Sora to evolve." Sasuke said as he glared as his mother. "I told Naruto to do it. I told him to pretend to attack me! It wasn't real!"

"Sasuke-"

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke shouted at her shocked form. "Shut up! This is your fault! I hate you! I hate you!" he screamed as Sora continued to wimper, begging Naruto to wake up.

"Sasuk-"

"Get out of my face! You're not my mother anymore! I hate you!" Sasuke screamed again, showing her exactly what he thought of her.

On a gasp, his mother took a few steps back, her hands covering her face. With tears streaming down her face, she ordered Yugito to shift before running out of the room.

Once she was gone, Sasuke turned back to Naruto and found the blonde groggly looking at him. At each breath he took, he flinched slightly. "Naruto? Can you hear me?" he whispered as Sora continued to lick up the blood.

"I'm...sorry Master." Naruto answered faintly, one of his eyes beyond any damage Sasuke had ever seen on a beast.

"No Naruto, it's my fault. I shouldn't have ordered you. I shouldn't have-"

"Sasuke what did you do?" Itachi demanded as he moved Sora away and looked Naruto over. Feeling gently along Naruto's bare chest, Itachi frowned. "Yugito's attack broke a few ribs." he said. "They'll take a few weeks to heal."

"He won't die?" Sora asked with trembling lips.

"No, but he won't be able to do much else." Itachi said as he moved his inspection to Naruto's neck then his head. "A broken nose, your head hit the wall a little too hard. Naruto open your mouth please." waiting for Naruto to do so, he looked at Sasuke, "Sasuke you can't cry everytime your Companion is hurt. You have to learn to recongnized every type of wound they may recive and learn to treat it. Are you following me?" At Sasuke's nod he went on as he looked inside Naruto's mouth, "Many times you won't have a medic for them around so you have to learn. He's missing both fangs. The eye... we might have to call a doctor to take a look at that one." Itachi said as he touched what was left of Naruto's right eye. Sasuke didn't want to see it, but he made himself look again at the goo that was Naruto's eye. Around the goo, Naruto's skin was peeling off, showing the bone and tissue underneath. "I'm not sure if it'll heal back the same or at all." Itachi finished calmly so as not to freak out Sasuke anymore then he was. "It's best we don't move him until we get a hold of a doctor."

Nodding, Sasuke buried his face in Naruto's neck and cried.

X~x~X

"He needs to rest for the next few weeks. Companions may seem impossible to hurt but they are really quite fragil." the man that Sasuke now knew as Dan said. "I'm surprised their wasn't more damage. Many Teens suffer or almost die by Beast attacks."

"What about his eye?" Fugaku asked the man. Sasuke wanted to know but at the same time he wanted to run into the room the doctor had come out of and check on Naruto.

"The eye...there really is no way to say at this point," Dan said as he wrote something down on his clip board. Tearing off the sheet, he gave the clip board to his Rabbit Companion Shizune. "It could go either way. I've never seen an eye that damaged on any Companion. I'll be back in a few days to check on Naruto but if anything changes for the worse, here is my personal number."

"Thank you." Fugaku shook the man's hand and walked him to the door.

"Oh and Sasuke?" Dan called, turning to face him. "Be very careful with him. Naruto's structure is slightly different then any Companion I've seen."

"I know." Sasuke nodded wanting to go to Naruto already.

"No, I mean it's very delicate. All of his bones, organs... Everything looks as if it's ready to collapse. I'm not sure how he's even able to move around at all without breaking anything else. It's strange really, he's beyond fragil and yet he's not at the same time." with a small smile, Dan turned and left.

"Itachi, what did he mean?" Sasuke questioned as Sora wasted no time in moving passed the barrier that hid Naruto from their sights.

"I don't know. Maybe Father might." Itachi said, "Sasuke wait." he went on as Sasuke made to move to Naruto.

"Itachi I want-"

"You will wait." Fugaku said coming back. "Follow me. Itachi stay here just in case anything happens."

"Yes Father."

"Father I-"  
"Come Sasuke." Fugaku ordered and lead Sasuke down the hallway and to his office. Motioning for Sasuke to take a seat, he moved to stand behind his desk as Killer Bee moved to his resting place by the window. "What were you thinking?"

"I-"

"Sasuke, did it not cross your mind that something like this was never done before because of this very reason!" Fugaku shouted.

"If Mother-"

"Don't you blame your Mother. What was she supposed to think when she went to get you for dinner and finds Naruto, a Companion that had already tried to kill you- don't you dare interrupt me!" Sasuke jumped as his Father slammed his palm flat against his desk. "Did you even think this through? Not only did you almost kill Naruto, you disrespected your mother and-"

"She shouldn't have been there! I told her I was training!" Sasuke cut in. "Naruto wouldn't hurt-"

"That is not how she sees it. She saw you on tv when he tried to kill you. Then she walks in on him attacking you!"

"He wasn't attacking me! I told-"

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me!" Fugaku hissed. Sasuke had never seen his Father so angry. His Father was beyond calm. Nothing ever seemed to upset him. "You delibertly had Naruto attack you to get Sora to shift. Did it not once cross your mind that it was a ridiculous idea to begin with? Did you not think of the dangers that would come with it? What if it went as planned? What if your mother had not entered the room and Sora shifted? Do you know what his priority would have been? Do you?"

"He would have protected me." Sasuke bowed his head and tried not to cry.

"And attacked Naruto and in the process, Naruto would have struck back. It's their instinct to protect their Masters. Sasuke," His father went on as he knelt in front of him, "Naruto would have seen another Companion going Beast and would think he was your enemy. He would have followed suit. You could have lost one or both of your Companions today. Do you understand?"

"I only want to prove everyone wrong." Sasuke gasped, trying not to sob. He didn't think beyond Sora's change or what would happen. He thought that once Sora shifted things would fall in place. "I only wanted everyone to see Naruto isn't dangerous."

"Why Sasuke? Why this way?" Fugaku asked softly.

"Naruto shifted the first time because Suigetsu was going to attack me." Sasuke wiped at his eyes angrily. Trying and failing to stop the tears. "I thought Sora would do the same."

"Sora isn't Naruto." Fugaku sighed and pulled him into his arms. Running his hands soothingly down Sasuke's back he went on, "Sasuke please don't take any more chances like this."

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said as he cried into his Father's shoulders, holding tightly onto his shirt. He let the fear and anger leak from his eyes at what could have happened to his friend. He let his sadness and his pain at the way he acted toward his mother. He cried until he ran out of tears and found himself sitting in his Father's lap in the chair he was sitting. Letting his Father run a hand through his hair, Sasuke tried to work up the courage to go and apologies to his mother. How could he do that to her? She was only protecting him. She was only doing what she thought was best.

"Go and speak to your Mother Sasuke." His Father ordered as he kissed his forehead.

Nodding, Sasuke left his Father's office and went in search for the woman that would risk her life for him. Knowing where she was, he made his way toward the kitchen. He found her standing quietly watching Yugito resting on the deck. Not saying a word, he moved to his Mother and simply hugged her from behind. "I'm sorry Mother. I didn't mean."

"I know dear." she said as she turned and held him to her. "I know."


	11. Chapter 11

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke saw more then heard the words Iruka was speaking. Though he tried, he couldn't force himself to concentrate. He wanted to run out of the room and to Naruto's resting form. He wanted to stay by his Companion's side until the Fox was walking and talking like normal. He hated seeing Naruto in bed, looking as if he was a second away from death. He didn't understand it. Naruto had been in a coma like state for over a week and a half. Doctor Dan couldn't explain it. He said everything but Naruto's eye was healed, Yet his body wasn't working right. His body refused to help him breath, it refused to let him wake up. The closest Doctor Dan said he could think that might have happened, was that Naruto was forcing himself to sleep so that he could heal completely. Even then it sounded like he didn't believe it himself.

His Mother checked in on Naruto everyday, changing his bandage and helping Sasuke clean him. She did everything she could to try and make it up to the Companion that only did what Sasuke wanted him to do. She blamed herself, and Sasuke had told her she shouldn't. He couldn't hate or blam Yugito and his Mother for protecting him, it was his fault. He abused his Companion in a way no Companion should have been.

"Sasuke?" Iruka called out to him.

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked softly as he turned to meet the warm kind eyes of his teacher.

"Do you want to go check on Naruto?"

"Yes!" Sora shouted from his spot by the door. Though he didn't have to be here, Sasuke knew Sora wasn't leaving his side. Instead, the dark furred fox simply sat by the door, ready to run at a moments notice. He made it no secret that he didn't want to be here, constantly interrupting Iruka with 'Can we go now?' or 'Now?' or 'How about now?' or even, 'You talk too much, how can we remember all of this? Let us go and think about this and we'll get back to you.' "Can we really?"

"Alright, we'll pick up on this tomorrow. You're already ahead of the class by a few weeks so I don't mind calling off the rest of the session."

"Thank you Iruka sensei!" Sasuke and Sora shouted as they ran out of the room, down the hallway and up the stairs. Turning the corner, they slowed their steps as Naruto's door came into view. With a soft intake of air, Sasuke reached up and slid the door open. Inside he found Naruto connected to a machine that monitared his heart rate and helped him breath. On one side of his face he saw a bandage wrapped over his damaged eye. He knew it was healing, slowly but surely, and for that he was grateful.

"Master?" Sora said softly as they both stopped beside Naruto's bed, watching the blonde Fox sleep, unaware of either of them.

"Yeah?" Sasuke said just as quietly.  
"Will you help me go Beast?"

"Sora?"

"I'll try harder." Sora said turning to gaze down at him, "Please?"

"Sora it won't be easy."

"I need it. I want it. I'll go Beast if it's the last thing I do." Sora vowed. "For you and Naruto."

"Alright," Sasuke nodded, "Let's let Naruto rest."

With a nod, Sora followed Sasuke out of the room and to the training grounds. Moving to one side of the room, he motioned for Sora to stand in the center. "When you're ready." Sasuke called out.

With a shaky nod, Sora closed his eyes and took a breath. Falling to his knees, he concentrated on his Beast form. He would go Beast. Naruto got hurt trying to help him. He wouldn't let Naruto's pain go to waste. He owed it to his best friend, his brother in all but blood. For Naruto, he'd change. Feeling the air around him move, Sora focused harder on shifting. His body was becoming exhausted and draining quickly, but he wouldn't stop. He wasn't going to give up. When he felt a tingle down his spine, he pushed more of his will into the change. He wanted it enough to think beyond the pain his body was slowly going through. He needed this for his master, for Naruto, and for him. For all three of them, he'd become what his body wasn't yet ready to become. He'd change into what he was destined to be. He would go against all of nature to make it happen. His body was young, too young to change yet, but he didn't care. He'd be the first, like Naruto, to make the impossible possible.

With a gasp, Sora arched his body as the overwhelming pain invaded his senses. Ignoring it as best as he could, he growled as his hands turned to paws and his nails to claws. He looked over the burning acid feeling through his blood and the way his bones seem to break and crack. He pushed away the itchy feeling of fur growing on his body and the ache in his jaw as it grew and formed.

Unable to stop, he tossed back his head and screamed.

"Sora?" Sasuke whispered in shock as he watched his Companion force the change. It was weird seeing it like this. When a Companion was ready to change over, their bodies seemed to just change. What Sora was doing... Sasuke had never seen this from another. He saw each little change appearing on the Fox's form. He saw the fur underneath his skin move and push out as it tried to come free. He saw his nails bleeding as they sharpened into claws. He saw his body shifting, taking on his Beast form. The way Sora's face changed and seemed to pulse, made Sasuke watch in silence and awe. Only when Sora looked like an animal with human skin, did Sasuke jump as the Fox screamed and grew. Falling to his butt, he couldn't look away as Sora shot up, at least half the size of Naruto, perhaps a little smaller.

Only when Sora gasped, his body taking in it's first even breath, did Sasuke scramble up and move to his shaky Companion. "You did it Sora," he said trying not to cry as Sora lowered his body, panting slightly, and nuzzled his nose against Sasuke's body. Hugging Sora's muzzle, Saskue laughed. "You did it!"

X~x~X

"Sasuke what's so important that you are taking all of us to the training ground?" his Father asked as Sasuke pushed him from behind.

"I have to show you something." Sasuke answered.  
"Where is Sora? Is he with Naruto?" Itachi asked.

"Nope." Sasuke answered, moving around his Father to reach the door first. Turning to face his parents, his brother, and all three Companions, he grinned, "We did it."

"Did what?" Kisame questioned.

"This," Sasuke said, pushing the door open and leading them inside. Behind him he heard the stunned gasp as his family took in Sora's sitting form. The Fox tilted his head to the right as his tails moved around him gracefully.

"How? That's impossible," Yugito gasped in surprise as she watched Sasuke move to Sora's side and the way Sora wrapped one tail around the young boy. "He's too young to have done it."

"Naruto did it," Sasuke reminded them.

"But Naruto's different."

"How did you do it Sasuke?" Itachi asked in awe.

"Sora did it. He made it happen." Sasuke answered. "He did it for Naruto."

"This is amazing." Fugaku stated, finally finding his voice. "Sasuke you are making history left and right. Gaining a Companion that defies all odds. Gaining another and having him shift. Then this...two Teens turned Beast...It's amazing."

"He's big as well, don't forget that," Killer Bee said with a small pout. "Bigger then us three."

"I can take him." Kisame stated, crossing his arms and look away.

"He only needs one more thing to make history," Yugito stated, moving farther into the room.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked her.

"Will he also gain an element?" Mikoto asked.

"You mean like this," Sasuke smirked as all six of them looked at him with even bigger eyes and gaping mouths, "Sora?"

With a flick of his tails, Sora created a small breeze. When everyone lifted a brow at something any Companion with a tail could do, Sasuke laughed, "Kidding, we're working on it. We're not sure what, if anything, will happen. But Sora went Beast and that's what we wanted. Isn't that right Sora?"

With a soft yap, Sora nodded his head.

"Will Sora enter the Arenas?" Killer Bee asked.

"It's the plan. I want both him and Naruto in there but only after Naruto can control himself. For now, we'll train and maybe in a few weeks or a month, we'll be ready."

"It takes longer then that to train a Companion." Itachi reminded him.

"Not if you have Companions like mine."

X~x~X

Naruto frowned in confusion as he woke in an unfamiliar room. Sitting up, he tore the wires taped to his body and the bandage covering half of his face. "Master?" he called getting no reply in return. "Master where are you? Where am I?" he asked out loud, moving to stand and walk to the door. Finding it locked, he called out again, "Master, I'm awake!" he called, banging on the back of the door that refused to set him free, neither moving in or out. Where was he?

Did his Master regret him? Is that why he was put in this room? Did Sasuke finally see how useless he was? "I'm sorry Master," he whispered, bowing his head as the tears rained down his face. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't disappoint you anymore."

Without another word, he moved to the window, pushing it open and looked out. His Master had Sora now. Sora would be a good Companion. He'd make it where Naruto couldn't. Sora wouldn't hurt his young Master. Sora would keep him safe. He was meant to replace him anyway. That is why Sora had come. Maybe his Master had finally realized it too. He was meant to go to the man named Jiraiya, he supposed that is where he would head. Death would be more welcomed then the thought of disappointing his Master again.

With a broken heart, Naruto jumped from the window and landed on all fours. Looking back at the house that was once his home, he turned and ran.

X~x~X

Sasuke was filled with pride as Sora walked behind him, no longer a Beast but a Teen. Moving to Naruto's door, he turned the knob and and slid the door to the right. Turning his gaze to Naruto's bed he gasped at the empty room and the open window. "Naruto?" he called in shock moving quickly into the room. Running to the window he screamed, "Naruto!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Itachi, how can he be out there this long without me?" Sasuke asked softly as he gazed out his window of the limo, wishing Naruto was with him. Where did he go? Why did he go? Was it his fault that Naruto left? Did he push his Companion too far with the training?

They had been searching almost nonstop for a few hours, but Naruto seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Sora had followed Naruto's scents to the edge of the property and a bit beyond, losing it when Naruto ran toward the city. There Sora had lost the scent completely and Sasuke and his remaining Companion had been picked up by Itachi in one of their family's limos.

"Naruto isn't like other Companions, Sasuke." Itachi answered him, "I don't think the two hour limit is something we must worry about with him." to himself he thought, I hope. If Naruto went crazy out there, then they were all in trouble. A Companion his size loose on the city would be dangerous.

"It's all my fault. I made him do it and he didn't want to. I made him get hurt."

"Sasuke, we'll find Naruto." Itachi reassured him, his and and Kisame's gaze both looking toward their own window in hopes of finding or spotting the blonde Companion. "Perhaps we should go back to foot. Sora and Kisame will have a better chance of catching his scent if we do that." with a nod toward the driver, Itachi turned back toward Sasuke, "Don't worry. Naruto is strong. We'll find him."

"Unless he's not in this area." Kisame grumbled, not wanting to walk but getting out nonetheless when the limo stopped and the door was opened.

"Kisame and I will go this way," Itachi said pointing toward the right. "Sasuke, you and Sora head that way. With us covering this part of the city and Mother and Father the other, we'll find him. Sora keep Sasuke safe."

"That is my main purpose." Sora saluted, motioning for Sasuke to walk ahead of him.

With a good-bye to his brother, Sasuke continued on, praying that he'd find Naruto before his Companion got hurt. Even if Naruto was the biggest Companion alive, Sasuke was still afraid that someone would try and attack him the way Kin had done. Naruto was still hurt from what he had made his Companion do. That alone would be a disadvantage to him. He wasn't fully healed. What if someone did go after him? Would Naruto be able to defend himself? Or were his injuries even greater then Doctor Dan said they were? What if, at this moment, Naruto was in danger or pain? What if he was dying? What if someone was torturing his Companion!

"Master, if you breathe any faster, you'll pass out." Sora said from beside him.

"Sora, what if Naruto is hurt? What if someone took him-"

"Master, I only smelt Naruto's scent. There was no other near our home." Sora reminded him softly. "Naruto left on his own. Perhaps it is my fault. I should have-"

"No Sora," Sasuke cut him off. "Naruto ran because of me. I'm a bad master. I abused him and I pushed him into something he didn't want to do. He only did it for me and he got hurt because of it. I hurt my Companion."

"Master-"

"Well, well, well, what do we got here?" Someone asked from the alley way they had just passed, causing Sora to jump and whirl toward the newcomers.

"Would you look at that, if my eyes decieve, then god kill me now." a Buffalo Companion, smirked. "I'm still alive so that means this is all real. We have a lost child in our fields."

"I'm not lost." Sasuke glared, as all six people, three of which were Companions, a male Bull, a female Lion, and a female Coyote, circled around him and Sora. Standing back to back with Sora, his hand holding one of Sora's stiff tails, Sasuke faced the man that spoke first. "I have no business with you."

"Did you hear that, Master?" The Lion grinned, "He doesn't want us around."

"Funny you should say that, Guren, because I find that I am always wanted." the man answered. "Kid, you should be honored to be in my presence."

"I'd be more honored if you left mine." Sora growled a warning when the Coyote Companion stepped too close.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves." The man went on as if Sora hadn't spoken, his hand lazily grabbing onto the Lion's tail as he stroked it gently with his fingers. "I am Gantetsu, a very talented battler."

"If that was true, how come we've never heard of you?" Sasuke demanded, allowing Sora's tails to wrap around his body, becoming a shield if these three attacked with their Companions.

"Because, I fight on the streets, no rules involved." Gantetsu hissed. "Me and Guren are the top fighters in the streets."

"Only because you couldn't cut it in the Arena." Sasuke countered.

"Must you play with fire?" one of the other men sighed. "Sasame, if you continue to tease the Fox, he will attack."

"But Master," the Coyote whined, her ears flattening against her head as her tail drooped, "Isn't that what makes it fun?"

"Yes Arashi, let your Coyote have some fun. She is only living up to her namesake." the last man chuckled. "Why don't you play to Shinga?"

"Can I play by myself?" the Buffalo asked, not even bothering to step closer as he watched with arms crossed and his tail moving boredly behind him.

"Everytime you let him play, he ruins the fun." Guren pouted. "Benten make him share this time."

"Why are we wasting our time on a child who looks green enough to not even had his first battle?" Arashi asked quietly as Sasame crouched beside him, her arms wrapping around one of his legs as she watched Sora with rapt interest.

"I'm bored." Gantetsu shrugged. "I haven't had a good challenge in a while."

"We won't get one with this child. His Fox screams innocents." Shinga stated, one of his hands reaching up to run over the horns sticking a few inches out of his head. "Weak."

"I'm not weak!" Sora glared, tensing up, his tails tightening slightly around Sasuke's form.

"Perhaps not in the future, but now you are." Benten answered as he cleaned out his nails with a pocket knife that he seemed to pull out of the air. "Why are you walking around the city by yourself, kid?"

"It's none of your business." Sasuke answered.

"I-"

"Gantetsu, shut up." Benten cut the other man off, earning a glare in return. "Listen, the rules of the streets are, if you walk around here, you're looking for a fight. We are usually the ones that answer that call."

"I don't want to fight you."

"Scared to lose?" Sasame giggled.

"No," Sasuke stated, moving from the security of Sora's tails to face Arashi, the only one that seemed as if he didn't want to be here and wished to leave. Not because he was afraid, but because he seemed to have better things to do. "I have other...business to take care of. It's very important that you leave us alone. If you don't-"

"No need to lie, cutie." Guren grinned. "Enough chit-chat, let's fight."

"Bring it hag." Sora growled and then grunted when Guren charged him, her rage escaping in a deafening roar.

"Sora!" Sasuke shouted, moving to run toward him but unable to with Arashi's hold on his arm. Unable to shake him off, Sasuke struggled, watching the Lioness landing blow after blow. Digging her teeth into Sora's flesh as her tail tied all of Sora's together. "Let me go!"

"The battle has started, let it finish." Benten said. "By the looks of it, Guren is sure to win."

"She might even almost kill him before he even gets a blow." Shinga huffed. "This is the fastest battle I've ever seen."

"Kill him?" Sasuke gasped looking at the Buffalo.

"It is the way it is, kid." Arashi shrugged. "You come to the streets to battle, you might end up losing your Companion for good. It doesn't happen often but it happens enough."

"No! SORA!" Sasuke screamed trying even harder to break free. Sora was bleeding like crazy. His face scratched up by Guren's extended claws. "Please don't! Please! Let him go!"

"Fight the battle kid, force your Companion to win." Benten answered as he leaned against the wall. "Shift him if you have too, everything goes."

"BEAST!" Sasuke screamed in panic as the Coyote wrapped herself around his body, allowing Arashi to step back. He wasn't sure what he'd do differently with Sora going Beast, but with his tails tied in such a way, he wouldn't be able to do much. Sora relied on his tails in a Teen battle. His tails were the majority of his style.

With a snarl, Sora began to shift, his body changing quicker then it did the first time. In seconds, he was free from Guren, his body taking up the road as he growled down at Sasame. With a gasp, Sasme let him go and Sasuke took off running toward Sora, moving to stand behind one of his hind legs.

"Oh..." Benten blinked taking in Sora's size. Even if he wasn't as big as Naruto, Sora was still huge. And if these three hadn't seen Naruto on TV, then Sora was the biggest Companion they had seen so far. With his six tails waving behind him in a dark dance and his fangs shining brightly, in contrast to his fur and eyes, Sora looked dangerous.

"He's big but can he move?" Gantetsu smirked. "Beast." he ordered Guren, watching Sora as his Companion shifted, her body building and growing, and within a blink she was in her golden brown Beast form. Her tail stiff as only the tip seemed to twitch. Her ears were flat against her head as she hissed. Even if she wasn't huge, Guren looked like she could take on hell and still come out alive. Her posture was one of an experienced fighter. A huntress waiting for the order to make the killing strike. "For your first taste and only battle, you get the honors of going first."

"This isn't my first battle." Sasuke stated. "Sora, your tails!" he shouted, watching as the tails lashed out at the Lion, striking seconds after she jumped out of the way.

"Kid you have to try harder then that. That's a rookie mistake." Gantetsu chuckled. "Guren, claws!" he ordered watching his Companion move between Sora's attacking tails and striking the Fox.

With a yelp, Sora threw his head into the air and made a pained growl kind of noise. Losing balance when Guren struck again, he fell to his side before shakily getting back up, barely avoiding the Lion's teeth as he rolled away.

"Protect!" Sasuke shouted, hoping Sora understood what was wanted of him. They never tried training any of their moves in a Beast form. Every attack Sora knew was for a Teen fight. Sasuke was hoping that those moves would still work. He hoped that the size difference wouldn't really be a problem, but he knew they were. Sora was used to a smaller body in battle, his Fox form was big and clumsy. Though faster then the Lioness, Sora was weaker then her powerful strikes. And though they fought on the road, the space was too small for Sora to move properly. Guren had the advantage, striking and moving like a preditor. Only attacking when Sora moved the wrong way or got stuck.

With his tails, Sora barely covered his back, his tails just making it to the tip of his nose, when Guren struck again. Without waiting for Sasuke to say anything, Sora wrapped his tails around the Lion's form, all six imbolizing her as he lifted her into the air and slammed her body painfully into the road only to lift her back up and slam her body against the wall of a building.

"YES!" Sasuke cheered when Sora seemed to get his footing back.

"Don't celebrate yet." Benten smirked. "You should have come with friends. Beast!" he shouted towards Shinga. With that, Shinga shifted quickly, and with his head low, rammed into Sora's side, sending the Fox flying and allowing Guren to break free. With shaky steps, the Lioness stood back up and shook her head. With a growl, she turned to Sora, stalking right behind Shinga as the bull ran full speed toward Sora, Benten cheering him on.  
"JUMP!" Sasuke shouted, watching in shock as Sora tried to jump but was a little too late when Shinga hit him again, sending him into a wall. Running toward Sora, Sasuke screamed his Companion's name. Falling to his knees beside his Fox, he ran his fingers gently over Sora's bleeding muzzle. "Hold on Sora, just hold on." how were they going to get out of here? They weren't going to let them leave. They had them cornered and with two against one, Sora was bound to lose. Sora was strong, but they were stronger. He was fast, but he had not space to move. They wouldn't stop until Sora was dead. He couldn't lose another Companion. He wanted this to stop, but he didn't know how. Sora had never been in a Beast battle. Sasuke barely had fought one with Naruto before. And even if they were experianced battlers, these three didn't seem to play by the rules. If Arashi sent in his Coyote...

"Kid, you're ruining the fun." Gantetsu shouted as Guren and Shinga waited to be given the next order. "Move!"

"Stop. I don't want...Please." Sasuke begged, hating himself but knowing he'd hate himself if he let Sora continue in this. Why was he so weak? Why couldn't he think of anything? He had watched and trained, memorized and recorded everything he knew about battlers and the top fighters. About fighters in the top hundred that showed something he hadn't seen before. But his mind was in a panic and he had nothing.

"If we stop, who wins?" Benten questioned.

"You do, please, don't kill him." he begged, facing the three. He didn't care if he lost. He didn't care if he would lose every battle he fought for the rest of his life. He only cared about his Companions. He only wanted Sora and Naruto to be happy and safe. If he never made it to the Main Branch, he didn't care. "Please, you win."

"There is no forf-"

"He is just a child." Arashi cut off the feminine male. "Enough of this."

"Arashi, you can't be serious." Gantetsu gaped.

"Leave the boy and his Fox alone."

"When did you become such a saint?" Benten demanded. "You never cared before."

"It does not matter. Leave him be."

"Or what?"

"Sasame." Arashi called, bringing the Coyote to stand in front of him. "Beast."

With a grin in place, Sasme shifted quickly, her fur ruffled as she growled at the standing Beasts. She wasn't as big as the Lioness, the Buffalo only slightly larger then Guren, but she looked fast. Her body made to move, to strike and evade before the other struck back. Guren was power. Shinga was strenght, and Sasame was speed. All three combined would have been Sora's downfall.

"I will not repeat myself." Arashi glared. "Let the boy go."

"No." Gantetsu answered. "Guren, attack."

"Water bullet!" someone shouted as the Lioness went into the air only to go flying back at the force of the attack. "Again!" came the same voice as another attack came out of no where and hit Shinga, forcing him backwards. "Sasuke are you alright!" Itachi yelled running toward him.

"Itachi, Sora's hurt!" Sasuke said to his brother, his hands still gently petting Sora's fur, the blood causing it to stick to his hands. "They wouldn't let me leave. They wouldn't stop." he said trying not to cry. It was hard, he was scared and he was afraid.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Itachi promised, moving to stand in front of Sasuke, facing the other three. "Kisame surface." Itachi ordered, his face empty of emotions as his eyes promised them a battle none of them would forget. When the ground began to gurgle, Sasuke turned his gaze to the growling puddle as Kisame slowly came out of the road. "You think to attack my brother and everything would be well? You have made a big mistake. Attack!" he growled, watching Kisame body, all but his fin, disappear beneath the road. The puddle following the Shark as he sped toward the Lioness. In a blink he went undergound and as the Lioness jumped, Kisame surfaced below the Buffalo, catching him around his stomach and pulling him below the surface.

"SHINGA!" Benten shouted in shock when his Companion disappeared instead of the Lioness he thought was the main objective. "Who the hell are you!"

"I am Itachi Uchiha."

"He's a top." Arashi finished in surprise. "You two should have listened to me."

"I'm a top in the streets." Gantetsu hissed. "Guren attack!"

"Not so fast." Arashi said, "Attack!" he ordered his Companion. As the Lioness moved toward Itachi, Sasame came at her from behind. With her speed she jumped onto the Lioness's back, flipping her over. With her jaws locked around the back Guren's neck, Sasame fought to hold onto the other as the Lioness slammed her back against the wall over and over again, trying to get free.

With another gurgling noise, Shinga flew from the ground and landed with a plop, in Teen form, by Benten's feet. Just as Kisame appeared again, grabbing Guren's Beast form, Sasame let go, allowing the Shark to take the other. With the silence that followed, Everyone held their breaths until the Lioness came back up in the same state as Shinga

"What...no...no! I rule the streets! How can you do this!" Gantetsu shouted as he looked at his Companion. "How did you beat us!"

"I am a battler in the top 30." Itachi answered as Kisame surfaced beside him, changing into his own Teen form. "But I practiced here when I was a child. Now unless you wish me to finish this in a way that should not be allowed, you best leave now."

Without another word, Benten picked up his Companion, throwing Shinga over his shoulder, as Gantetsu craddled Guren, bridestyle. Both turned and left, each of them sending one last glare toward Itachi. When it was just Arashi and Sasame, now a Teen, Itachi turned his burning gaze toward him. "It is the streets. You fought them apparently." Arashi shrugged.

"Hn."

"Your Companion is my favorite to watch on TV." Arashi went on. "He's never lost a battle when he started. It's only when he hit top 30 did he begin losing one or two here or there, but never to a challenger. Only to the one above you."

"So you know our history. You should also know that I don't take too kindly to those that harm my Master's family." Kisame growled.

"I never attacked. Now I have to go and sooth their ruffled feathers." Arashi sighed in annoyance.

"Why do you fight here?" Sasuke called out, allowing Sora to go Teen so that he could see his wounds without the fur. Most of it were thin scratches, none of them deep enough to cause real damage. He was sure Sora's ribs were bruised and not broken, but he needed Itachi to double check.

"Because I will never make it in a legit battle. Sasame doesn't have an element and will never make it far in there. Besides, someone has to keep those other two in line and make sure they don't attack everything we come across."

"Won't they try and attack you?"

"Yes, but were all eachother has. Family is supposed to piss eachother off. Stay off the streets kid, unless you know what you're doing." Arashi ordered as he turned away. "Never know what you'll find and I won't always be there."

"We're looking for a missing Companion." Itachi called out. "He's a rare Fox breed. There is no other like him."

"A Fox?" Sasame frowned, turning to face them as she ignored Arashi's confused frown. "A male with a strange scent?"

"Yes." Kisame nodded, running his gaze quickly over Sora's slowly moving form. Watching the Fox stand shakily as he grumbled about his side. Finding the Fox otherwise unhurt, Kisame turned his attention back to the Coyote. "Where is he?"

"Who are they speaking of, Sasame?" Arashi questioned.

"The blur." Sasame said. "When we were sleeping, I said it flew across the street and you said I was dreaming. I followed his scent when you fell back asleep. He ran to the Gutters."

"The what?" Sasuke frowned.

"You can't be serious." Kisame growled.

"What is the Gutters?" Sora asked.

"A place even worse then this. Where they'll attack to kill both you and your Companion. The end of a battle is always death to one side." Arashi answered. "It is not a place for anyone that isn't looking to die."

"Show us how to get there." Sasuke ordered.

"Kid, the Gutters is like the underground of the city. Everything illegal goes on there. Companion battles are dangerous. They strike out of no where and the battle is on. That is the place to test your skills. And if your Companion dies, there's a bigger chance you'll follow. Everything happens there and no one cares, so long as it stays there."

"People there sick their Companions on anything they feel like it." Sasame answered. "Human, Chibi, Teen, Beast, you name it, they'll attack it. Death is a common enough that no one takes a second look."

"And Naruto went there." Sora said, his eyes wide. "Of all places, why there?"

"I don't know, but I'll call Father and tell him the developments." Itachi said fishing out his phone. "Sasuke you'll go home-"

"No, I'm going to get Naruto." Sasuke said stubbernly. "He's my Companion."

"The other is yours too?" Arashi blinked.

"How were you able to shift two Chibis?" Sasame questioned. "The blur was strong, and this one is strong too. How did you do it?"

"It's a Fox thing." Sora smirked and then flinched when he gently tapped his side. "We're awesome like that."

"Not bad to look at either." Sasame grinned.

Flushing, Sora straightened up only to hold the back of his head when Kisame smacked him. "Down you animal. We are not in mating season."

"And if we were, you still wouldn't get any." Sora shot back.

"I have yet to find the female that will carry on my genes and breed the perfect young." Kisame glared.

"No, you have yet to find a female, dead or alive, that will take you at all." Sora growled.

"Enough." Sasuke glared at both. "Naruto's more important then mating season."

"Exactly," Itachi nodded in agreement, hanging up the phone. "Father is coming and he is bringing Mother, Obito, and Orochimaru. If we wish to make it in there, we need strong fighters."

"Then you'll need another one that knows that place inside and out. I'll take you to the entrance but I won't go in. He will though." Arashi said, "He's usually in the Gutters every weekened with his cousin. I'm sure he'll help you."

"Why?" Kisame asked.

"Because Deidara is a big fan of yours. The only reason he won't join the Arenas is because he enjoys the freedom of the Gutter battles."


	13. Chapter 13

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"This is as far as I go." Arashi said, stopping twenty feet away from a abandon building with the front wall completely gone. From what Sasuke could see inside, there was just a giant whole with steps leading down. "Good luck." he added as he turned away with Sasame right beside him. "You'll need it."

"Wait, where's Deidara?" Itachi called after their retreating forms. Their small group just watching them walk off in surprise, each wearing a thin jacket with the hood pulled up to hide their faces as Arashi requested. Sasuke knew he should have been afraid of being left here at all but he wasn't. Why would he if he had Four of the top 30 battlers? He had Orochimaru, who, was in 3rd place within the Arena's, and his Companion Anko. He had his dad, who was in 4th place, and his Companion Killer Bee. He had his mom, who was in 8th place, and her Companion, Yugito. He had his brother, who was in the 25th place, with Kisame. And his Cousin Obito, who was 22nd, with his wolf Companion, Kakashi. He had Sora, who was a Fox breed who could go Beast and he knew once he found Naruto in there, he'd have him too.

"Who's asking?" came a reply from behind them, making all of the Companions go on quick defense.

"Are you Deidara?" Mikoto asked, lifting her head enough to see them and in the process, showing herself, as the others all did.

"Do my eyes decieve or is there, not one, not two, but four Battlers and famous Companions? What do you think Sasori?" a blonde asked coming into view, with a red head right beside them. In the shadows, were two Companions, or at least Sasuke thought they were Companions with the way they looked and moved.

"I think they are either lost or stupid." Sasori answered boredly. "But since Arashi is the one that brought them, I say stupid."

"We're looking for a male Companion." Orochimaru said, taking the lead.

"He's dead." the blonde grinned, as he twirled a piece of his hair around his finger. "A Companion all alone is always first to go."

"He's not dead!" Sasuke shouted angrily. "I know he's alive. Naruto's the strongest and smartest Companion ever!"

"Right, so why is he in here and you are not?" One of the Companion's, a scorpion from the looks of it, asked, moving into the light, his eyes betraying his relaxed state as they glanced around quickly, searching for danger. "Clearly he's not as smart as you've said."

"Take that back!" Sora growled, trying to move passed Kisame and Kakashi to get to the smirking Companion.

"Make me."

"Why are you looking for Deidara?" Sasori asked. "What do top contenders within the Arenas wish to do with this moron?"

"Go to hell." Deidara glared, sticking his tongue out. "I'm the best there is. No one can beat me."

"We're looking for Deidara because Arashi said he was the one that could help us find Naruto. Arashi said there was no other that knows the place like Deidara does." Fugaku stated with all the arrogance only a Uchiha could master. "We'll pay if we have to but we need to find this Companion."

"Why? He's probably nuts already. Two hour limits and all." Deidara yawned. "Besides, I doubt top anything will last in here long. The name of the game is death and death be what we're all looking for. Go home and leave him to suffer for running off. If he isn't dead yet, it's not long before he does die."

"Master, let's go play." one of the Companions grinned sadistically, his body trembling with supressed emotions as his eyes strained to see within the hole on the ground.

"Why not, Hidan?" Deidara shrugged, turning away from them. "Though you don't meet an idol every day, I must say later and what not. I have things to do and some Companions are just too interesting to see die." he added with a pleased smile at Kisame.

"Please let us come with you." Sasuke called, pushing passed his mom to run toward Deidara and his Grinning Companion. "Anything you want, I don't care, but please help us."

"Kid, my advice is to forget him. Buy another one or just stick with that one." Sasori suggested, nodding toward Sora, who was right behind him. "Hiruko let's go."

"Yes Master." the scorpion nodded, walking after him.

With a glare of frustration forming on his face, Sasuke ignored his parents calls and ran after the four. If they didn't want to help him willingly, he'd make them help him. They could only do so much to keep him away.

"So you want to die?" Deidara questioned when Sasuke walked beside him.

"Do you want to die?" Sasuke tossed back, feeling Sora at his back as the darkness swallowed them up. He knew without looking that the others were right behind them, if the sound of foot falls said anything.

"Possibly, but since I have yet to die, I'm sure I don't want to die all that badly." Deidara chuckled, tossing an arm around his neck. "Down foxy." he smirked at Sora. "It's not me you wish to watch, but them."  
"Who?" Sora growled only to gasp in shock when the tunnel finally came to an end and they stood on a wooden platform looking down at Companions and people alike. Some fighting, some betting, and others randomly attacking. The smell hit them all. Each flinching back and covering their noses to ward off the smell of decay and garbage and body odor, not that any of the beings walking down there were a pretty sight to begin with. Each, even the Companions, looked liked they were in bad need of a bath and some decent care.

Screams and cries were heard just as loud as if they were standing beside the person doing the screaming.

The place seemed to go on forever, some places going deeper then Sasuke thought possible, and other places going higher.

In shock, Sasuke watched as a man randomly tossed a small Chibi onto the ground, laughing as the owner screamed for it to attack. Instead, the man snapped his fingers and a Teen came out of nowhere, striking fast with another and tearing the Companion in two. Next to them a woman was watching with disinterest as a Companion was beaten painfully by a Beast, torturing the unknown creature until it did nothing but shake and blood dripped from it's mouth and nose. Two other Beast were tearing at eachother before four more attcked the losing one and another attacked the Beast's master. One battle was between a three Teens all going at eachother until one fell victim and the other two charged it. The battle didn't even last long before the first Companion tried to crawl back to the woman, crying in pain only to be dragged back by the Teens and only when it was dead, did the other two go at eachother again..

"Oh god." Sasuke said in shock, trying to force himself to breathe. He felt arms come around him and he knew right away it was his Mother holding him from behind.

"This is just the beginning." Hidan chuckled, moving toward the wooden steps that would take them farther in.

"He's right. You go any farther, you're dooming yourself." Sasori said, snapping his fingers. Seconds later, Hiruko shifted from a Teen to a Beast, his body sleek and slim, allowing him to barely fit on the stairs as he went down ahead of Sasori and behind Deidara and Hidan.

"I need to save Naruto." Sasuke said, uncaring of how childish he looked holding his Mother's hand or the way he looked only at the floor beneath his feet and not around. He wanted the noise and the smell to disappear. He wanted to run back up top and never come back. He knew he couldn't until he found Naruto.

"Suit yourself. Stay alert or stay dead." Sasori answered. "Keep your hoods over your faces. They see you, you'll be their main target. Everyone in here wants a chance to prove they're better then any Battler."

"Arashi sent us to Deidara, but you seem to be more helpful." Obito said, watching in stunned silence as a Companion and it's Master were attacked from behind by four others. Why would anyone cheer this place on, he wondered. Why would anyone wish to be here? He couldn't phantom the thought of bringing his Companion here on purpose for this sort of entertainment. There was no honor in killing another. No honor in attacking a weak. Why would someone come here to either kill or die? To attack or be attacked?

"Deidara is on talking terms with Arashi. I'm not." Sasori said simply watching as Deidara ordered Hidan to shift. Not even halfway done, the Hyena started crackling up, before jumping the rest of the way down and landing on another Beast's back. Before the Beast could react, the earth below it slammed upward, impaling both Companions before retreating back, taking the Beast with it and leaving Hidan, bleeding and laughing as he moved toward another Beast running at him. With speed that surprised Sasuke, Hidan moved around the beast, twisting mid step and sending more shards of spikes toward it. Before that attacked finished, he tossed back his head and laughed, the most spookiest laugh Sasuke had ever heard, and with each crackle things began to explode, shaking the whole place and killing Companions within distance. With blood dripping down his form, he ran back to the stairs, jumping into the air just high enough to catch Deidara as the blonde dropped the rest of the way down. Hidan wasn't big by any means, the size of a small car if that, but what he lacked in size he made up for in power.

"He's amazing." Orochimaru said in awe. The beauty of the Hyena's attack memorizing and awe inspiring. Every attack, every move, everything about him was perfect. "Not truely graceful but nimble on his feet. Fast to react, fast to attack. Attacking himself even. He should be in the Arenas. Both Deidara and Hidan are on levels I struggle to hold onto."

"Deidara will never join the Arenas." Sasori said as Hiruko blocked an attack against their group and sent the other falling lifelessly. "He can not contain himself, nor can Hidan, once he gets excited. They may watch the battles but neither will leave this place. It's in their blood. They grew up fighting here. Only eighteen, and many are already afraid of him and Hidan, many of them will attack to gain the fear and respect he holds. This is where they found eachother. This is their home, their domain. This is where they feel at ease and safe."

"How do you feel safe here? We are on constant guard." Fugaku said, watching Sasori's Companion stop another from touching them, his tail impaled into their chest.

"Here, they know their place. They know everything about this place. They have no limits to worry about. You put a set of rules on their shoulders and they'll rebel and drive themselves insane. They don't work on rules here. No one does. I have tried to set rules for Deidara and even then he hardly follows them unless my life is in danger. He and Hidan are all for adventure and the thought that they could die any second is a rush for them. I'm Deidara's only family and because of that, he tries to do as I want him to. Sometimes I put my life in danger just to get him to listen to me." Sasori chuckled. "This Floor is the easiest to manuever, still dangerous but not as bad as the next floor and every floor after that."

"How do we find Naruto?" Sasuke asked Sasori, making sure to stay close to the red head and to keep a tight hold on his mother and Sora. He was scared, and there was no shame in that. He could feel Sora trembling slightly beside him in fear too. Looking toward Sora, he saw Kisame with a hand on his shoulder, giving support in that simple gesture. Sasuke would never, in a millions years, believe that Kisame could be that kind to anyone that wasn't Itachi. He would have bet his life on that.

"How do you call any Companion that belongs to you?" Sasori questioned, pausing at the bottom of the stairs and seeing the last of Deidara disappear into one of the lower levels. With the screams quick to follow, he knew both were already causing hell. His cousin was a little crazy to begin with, but whenever Deidara came here, he was worse. Losing more of himself until Sasori dragged him back out to rejoin society. Something that both his cousin and Companion hated.

"The rules are different here." Kakashi frowned, stepping closer to Obito and growling his most terrifying growl in warning when another person stepped too close to their group. Instead of moving off like he would assume, the person just turned and grinned. Without warning, a Beast jumped over the human and lanched itself at Kakashi.

"Beast!" Obito shouted just in time. With a flash, Kakashi shifted. Standing on his hind legs, he used his front paws to grasp the lizard Companion and tossed him to the ground.

"Kill him." Sasori ordered when Kakashi kept pushing the other off and farther away.

"I-" Obito hesitated slightly, not wishing to particitpate in their kind of battles.

"Either it dies or he dies." Sasori said in annoyance.  
"Lightning!" Obito shouted, when the Beast was joined by another, this one some kind of frog. With a buzzing noise, Kakashi shook his whole body, before opening his whole mouth and shot spears of lightning at the two, catching them but not killing them.

"They'll keep coming back." Sasori said, watching as more people began to take notice of them. The whispers of the Arena's wolf spreading around. "They know were here, kill them."

"Anko!" Orochimaru shouted, tossing off his jacket, "Beast!"

In a flash Anko shifted, her body becoming that of a huge, slim purple snake with a white belly. Her body longer then two buses. "Poison!"

With her body swaying to and fro, to a song only she could hear, Anko opened her mouth and let the poison free. Even as Companions screeched or hissed in pain, she continued to spray. Her poison was one of the reasons that his dad had problems moving passed the snake. That and her tail was fast as hell and strong. Sasuke would always laughed every time that she went against Killer Bee, because Itachi always said that when she held onto the Bull, she was really trying to force him to kiss her.

"Go and search for your Companion." Sasori ordered as Hiroku joined the battle. "If he ran in here to hide, he'd go deeper in. You should run into Deidara and he'll take you farther in."

"What about this?" Mikoto asked as Kakashi, Anko, and Hiruko continued to face off against the onslaught.

"We'll get this." Sasori grinned. "Haven't had this much fun and to fight with Battlers... Take that path and keep on going. If you have to, tell them that there are top battler's here. The majority of the attacks will be on this level anyway."

"Come on." Fugaku said, with a hand on Mikoto's waist and the other on Sasuke's shoulder, he lead his small family around the battle, their Companions moving to protect them but not shifting yet. Once they made it to the entrance, Deidara had disappeared in, Sasuke looked over his shoulder to see that both Kakashi and Anko had pushed aside the rules that were bred into them and took to fighting like pros in the Gutters. Their strikes, along with Hiruko's, hitting vital areas. "Sasuke, watch your step. Itachi stay close."

"Yes Father." Both said, flattening themselves against the wall when a Crocodile came speeding by with it's master on it's back.

"Come Master." Sora ordered, lifting him up like a child and moving forward. Behind Sora, Sasuke saw his parents and Itachi keeping pace as best as they could with aid from their Companions. Entering another giant room, Sora froze as he took in the blood and bodies of humans and Companions. The scent of burning flesh stung Sasuke's nose, forcing him to bury his face into Sora's shoulder.

"From the cries coming that way, I'd say Deidara is there." Kisame said, pointing to another entrance going even deeper.

"You think he's doing this on purpose?" Killer Bee asked as they made their way over.

"Possibly." Fugaku said, watching Yugito jump down a few feet with Mikoto on her back, followed by Sora and Sasuke. "Go Itachi." he ordered his oldest son, keeping a look out as he heard something coming closer from one of the upper levels.

"Fugaku?" Mikoto frowned when Killer Bee stood protectively beside him, making no move to jump down.

"Go, I'll hold them off." Fugaku said, taking in the Companions, Teens and Beast, appearing from the levels above and a few from the same floor. "Beast."

In a flash, Killer Bee shed his human skin and became the eight tailed Bull the world knew. With a toss of his head, he snorted and stomped his hoof. When the first Companion attacked, Killer Bee charged, water appearing from each of his tails and stricking out like chains. Using his body, he slammed into Companions, sending them flying back, before stomping the ground and sending up a fountain of water, pushing Companions into the air painfully before letting them fall back to the ground in heaps.

"Itachi, take care of your brother. Don't let anything happen to him." Mikoto said, kissing their foreheads before ordering Yugito to help her out of the hole. "Beast!" she shouted, her Companion doing as told.

When traces of Yugito's attack hit them, Kisame pushed them forward. "Keep going."

"But-"

"Sasuke, they are top battlers. I highly doubt your parents are going to die." Kisame reminded him. "Let's move. The faster we can find Naruto, the faster we can return and help your family. Move Fox!" he added with a push, forcing Itachi to cling to his back as he ran behind him.

With a grunt, Sora took off in a run, flying through the short empty tunnel before ending up in another room. To the right, Deidara stood on a small cliff a few feet above their heads, the blonde watching and shouting attacks for Hidan to do as the Hyena tore his opponets to pieces. "Earth Bombs!" Deidara shouted in glee, as Hidan did that weird chuckle again and things began to explode. Spotting them, Deidara waved and jumped down. "Isn't this amazing! Wait, where's the rest of you?" he asked with a shit eating grin and slightly glazed eyes, his face flushed.

"Sasori said you'd take us farther in." Itachi said instead.

"I am. I'm clearing the way." Deidara laughed. "Earth!" he shouted, jumping slightly when Hidan's attack took out a few more Companions. "They're like roaches here. No matter how many you kill, they're are seven more to take their places."

"How far would Naruto have run?" Sasuke asked, now standing beside Sora.

"As far as he could get without being attacked." Deidara said, "Make it rain!" he shouted, and with a booming laugh, the earth above them began to break and form arrowheads, hitting Companions left and right. "There are seven levels to this place, some that end up in the sewers below the city, and others that end up in hotel basements. The path I took just keeps taking us a floor deeper. From the rumors I've heard, something came speeding downward hours ago, but they went the long way. The place is huge so I'm not sure where he'll be right now. This is the fastest way down though. Through that tunnel, is the next floor, but as we keep going down, they get stronger. Can you handle that?"

"Sasori said there was a way to bring Naruto to me, but I don't know how they do it here." Sasuke said, not wanting to go deeper in. The things that kept coming up from the bottom floors were screaming for their deaths, they looked even more like wild animals then the Beast he saw earlier. How did Deidara survive here?

"Knock out your fox, and I'll tell you." Deidara grinned, cheering when Hidan squashed a Companion between the earth, causing blood to splatter and coat is drenched fur.

"Wha-"

"Done." Kisame said, punching Sora and watching in silence as the Fox slumped to the ground. "Went down like nothing."

"Sora!" Sasuke said, looking at Kisame in shock as he knelt beside Sora, craddling his unconcsious head in his lap. He knew Sora only went down so quickly because he wasn't expecting an attack from a friend. If he knew Sora, he knew his Fox would be pissed when he woke.

"Now what?" Kisame asked.

"Now we knock you out to." Deidara said just as a boulder came flying, slamming Kisame painfully against the wall. Itachi was by his side in an instant, trying to wake his Companion.

"You bastard! You tricked us!" Itachi shouted angrily afraid for his and Sasuke's lives. He had always ignored Obito's jokes about dying by a fan, who knew his cousin would be right.

"I'm doing you a favor." Deidara chuckled, uncaring of the glare. "I know you don't want to go farther down, and we're dying to." he said gesturing to himself and Hidan. "But if we go down, Sasori will follow us and drag us back up. Can't let my only cousin get hurt because of us, can I?" Deidara asked. "Even I have a heart somewhere. He should be grateful he's my only cousin. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen the bottom floor? Months!"

"What are you going to do to us?" Sasuke asked once Deidara commanded Hidan to block the entrance with a rock wall. Even then, Sasuke saw the earth shifting and cracking as they pounded on the rocks from below.

"Help you out." Deidara shrugged as Hidan, covered in blood and grinning madly, came up to him. "Hidan, attack!" he ordered.

In slow motion, Sasuke watched Hidan come at him. He felt arms wrap around his body and himself being jerked to the ground, his brother covering him. Just as he thought they'd die, it happened. The ground exploded in a sea of fire, and whatever Companions were trying to get in, were now covered in fire, running for their lives.

Turning his head, Sasuke saw Naruto, his fox Companion pushing his way through the hole he had created, his teeth flashing as salive dripped from his fangs, falling to the ground, sizzling the whole time. His eyes were filled with fury and when he was fully on their level, he howled, fire exploding around him. His tails were swaying dangerously in the air, getting stuck on the earth and rocks, but that didn't stop Naruto as he pulled them and pushed them every which way, making room for his giant body, uncaring of the boulders falling on himself.

"My cue to go." Deidara grinned, saluting them as he jumped on Hidan's back and took off running, barely making it into one of the many tunnels to an upper level as Naruto snapped at them with his teeth. Pulling his head back, Naruto sent a gust of fire through the hole, and clawed at it, trying to follow Deidara.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, standing up and waving his arms. "Naruto!"

With a fierce grow, Naruto turned his head quickly, in seconds his face was only a foot away from Sasuke's own, his head turned to the side so that he could see Sasuke better. With a grin, Sasuke jumped at Naruto, wrapping his arms around the Fox's muzzle. "I'm so glad you came back!" he shouted, tears falling down his face. "I thought I lost you!"

"Sasuke, we need to get out of here, I think this floor is about to collapse." Itachi said, holding onto Kisame and Sora.

"Naruto help us." Sasuke begged. When Naruto opened his mouth right next to them, Itachi froze in shock, looking as if he thought Naruto would eat them. "Come on, get in!" Sasuke said, moving to Sora's side and trying to drag him in. "Itachi!"

"Sas-"  
"Get in or die here!" Sasuke shouted.

With a jump, Itachi helped him put Sora in Naruto's mouth before going back to move Kisame beside the Fox. Helping Sasuke over Naruto's teeth, Itachi climbed in after him and when Naruto's mouth closed around them, he stiffened and held Sasuke in a death grip.

"He's not dangerous." Sasuke reminded him, jerking a little when Naruto moved. When the sound of something breaking was heard, he knew Naruto was breaking through the next floor and then the one after. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Naruto opened his mouth again, and Sasuke was never so glad to see the sky.

"Sasuke!" he heard someone shout as Naruto stood tall, his mouth open so that they could see, standing over the Gutter's entrance. Looking down, he grinned as he saw his parents standing with Orochimaru and Obito, their Companions heaving like crazy, and all of them looking as if they had rolled in the dirt.

"Down Naruto." Sasuke ordered, holding onto Naruto's bottom fang as they slowly went down. When his Companion's jaw touched the ground, he was pulled from Naruto's mouth and into his dad's arms. "Look, he's okay! He's back!" he grinned as he turned, jumping from his dad's arms and running back to Naruto. "Naruto!" he shouted, unable to calm himself down as he held onto Naruto's fur.

"Stupid shark!" he heard Sora shout, climbing out of Naruto's mouth, trying to attack the dazed shark. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Sora, enough. Naruto shift!" Sasuke grinned, moving back as the Fox receded in size and became a Teen. Not even a second later, Sasuke and Sora were jumping him again. Knocking the runaway Teen over.

"Damn you! Who said you could run! Did I give you permission to run!" Sora started shouting, grasping Naruto around the shoulder and hoisting him up, making sure not to drop Sasuke in the process. "No! I did not! Why you-"

"Great, now I'm going to have to find another entrance to the Gutters," Deidara pouted, sitting on Hidan's back, the Hyena resting on the ground.

With a growl, Naruto was up and charging at them.

"Stop!" Sasuke shouted, stopping his Companion a few inches from the growling Beast.

"Yeah, stop." Deidara grinned, resting his arms on the Hyena's head. "I saved your Master, foxy."

"You put him in danger first." Naruto growled, sounding almost demonic, his eyes flashing red and black. "I should rip you to pieces for that."

"Um, how about not?" Deidara suggested, running his fingers over Hidan's ruffled fur. "Oh hush, Hidan. Sasuke do call your guard dog."

"Naruto," Sasuke said worriedly as everyone watched the Fox with cautious eyes, the tired Companions preparing themselves just incase. "Step down." When Naruto continued to stand at ready, Sasuke tried again. "It's an order, step down." with difficulty, Naruto forcefully pulled himself away from the tense Hyena. "He brought you to me, Naruto." he said to the fox that refused to look at anyone. "If not for him you-"

"You should not have come." Naruto whispered, fisting his hands. "I should have stayed lost."

"Naruto-"

"I'm dangerous. I almost killed you. I am not meant to be-"

"No Naruto." Sasuke stopped him, moving to his side. "There is nothing wrong with you. There never was."

"I am a bad Companion, I do not deserve the title of such a thing. I am a monster. I failed you-"  
"No!"

"Master, let the human take me. Let him put me down with the rest. Let me protect you by dying, for I do not deserve to call you such a title."

"NO!" Sasuke screamed, latching onto Naruto's waist. "I don't want you to die! I don't want you to go away! You're the best Companion ever! You're my best friend!"

"Master-"

"We're in this together." Sora growled, looking like he wanted to hit Naruto. "Remember?"

"Bu-"

"Please enough of the drama." Deidara yawned, hopping off of Hidan so that the Companion could shift back. "Listen, Foxy, go back to your master, because it'll be a sad day in the world to lose such an amazing Companion-"

"I'm better." Hidan glared at Deidara's words.

"Of course you are." Deidara stated before turning back to Naruto, "Foxy, go with your master, with a gift like you, you can take him to the top and make up for all the other crap you screwed up and created."

"Your speeches are to die for." Sasori said dryly, still dusting dirt off his body.

"I'm trying. Usually I just kill things." Deidara glared.

"So why are you helping them?"

"Because I have nothing better to do." Deidara said, turning his glare to the covered hole. "My Gutter is gone! It's all gone! Either I help them or I start killing things! They are lucky I don't start killing them! They took away my entertainment!"

"Naruto," Sasuke said, as Deidara continued to shout at everyone, "Sora and I can't do this without you. Please don't leave us. Please. I don't care what anyone else says. I don't care how people react. I promise you that we'll learn to control your shift. We're learn to use your extra transformation. One day, everyone will see that they have nothing to fear from you. All three of us are going to be something."

"Naruto, don't leave." Sora begged. "Don't go die, you idiot. It's because of you I can go Beast now. We can start training and be awesome. I'm even sexy in my Beast form."

"Sora, you're not helping." Sasuke said. "What do you say, Naruto? Will you come home with us?"

"You truly do not hate me?"

"I could never hate you." Sasuke grinned, showing that he meant it. "No matter what happens, I will never hate you." holding his hand out he waited for what seemed like hours before Naruto finally reached out and grasped it. "Let's go home."

"Yes Master." Naruto said, with a small smile.

"Great, go home!" Deidara shouted in annoyance. "Hidan make a tunnel. I'm getting back into the Gutters one way or another and somebody better still be alive to kill!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

It was one week later, a week filled with homeschool lessons and training, that Sasuke got the shock of his life. He had finished his lesson with Iruka and was on his way to his room to change his clothes. Both Sora and Naruto were with him, as always Sora was talking and Naruto just silently listening. Before dinner started, Sasuke wanted to get some training in and since his brother was off doing school council things. His Father was off working, not to mention his mom was off organizing some event or other-something that Sasuke knew he was going to have to grudgenly dress up for-it was just him and his Companions in the house.

"And then I was like, 'Don't go in the room! The guy's in there!' But do you think she listened? No the idiot girl just went on in and guess what? She died! She should have listened to me-"

"Sora for the last time it was a movie." Sasuke told his Companion. Never again would he watch another horror movie with his Companions, well Sora. The Fox was scared from the opening scene and then went on to screech and squeal alot after that. He also hid and jumped, clutched and sqeezed both him and Naruto as he advised the people on screen what to do. Afterwards, Sora had said he wasn't scared but still refused to sleep on the floor and ended up using Sasuke as his teddy bear, forcing Naruto to sleep on the bed behind him. It was the most embarrasing and uncomfortable night of Sasuke's life, especially when he woke up with Sora drooling on his head and the Fox's tails wrapped tightly around his leg.

"All I'm saying is she should have listened. Why do they always go into the dark space? Or the basement? Why not just run?" Sora demanded of Naruto. "I would go into the basement, but that's because I'm brave and strong."

"Says the one that screamed like a little girl and cried all night when the wind blew." Sasuke said.

"I did not scream-" Sora started to say as Sasuke opened his door and stopped. All three watched in stunned silence as two people, or one person and one Companion, made themselves at home. The Companion was relaxing on Sasuke's bed and the master was sitting crossed leg on his back, reading through Sasuke's personal journals, not diaries, journals. Right beside him were Sora's and Naruto's black binders with all their records in it, both had yet to be opened.  
"About time you got here! I was bored out of my mind!" Deidara said, tossing the journal toward the ground on a pile of other books that once lined Sasuke's shelves. "Do you know how long I've been here? Ages!" Deidara went on as he reached for one of the black binders, skimmed it, nodded and tossed it onto the growing pile. Reaching for the last he went on, "So long I went grey. Do you see the grey hair? It's right there." He pointed at his head as his eyes widen, looked at Naruto, and down went the other black binder.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, barely holding onto his anger as he looked around his room. His computer was on and beeping weirdly, as a dent rested on the whole top of the tower. His clothes were thrown all over the floor. His shoes were tied together and stapled to the ceiling. His mirror had a badly drawn something or other missing his head, which was on the ground beside it with big 'x's on it. His tv was on but the images were so messed up it showed nothing but colors mixing together. His radio was okay, but the speakers were torn wide open and the wires all pulled out. "Why did you trash my room?"

"I didn't trash it, things broke." Deidara shrugged, leaning farther back so that he slid off Hidan's back and only his legs rested over his Companion, who was looking too lazy and comfortable to complain. "I tried to play on the computer, but you needed a passward and after the sixth attemp I hit it with that lamp...by the way don't touch the lamp, it's broken too. Then I wanted to watch tv but Hidan wanted to watch tv too and we were fighting over the control and I think we hit the tv so hard it did that. Then I was listening to music but the radio wouldn't play my station right so I thought it was the speakers. I tried to fix the volume and now you need new speakers. Then I got bored and drew on the mirror-that's Sasori, because he left me here- and when I got bored of that, I started reading those boring books and your diary...you really need to get laid."

"I'm thirteen! And it's a journal!" Sasuke flushed, clenching his fist. "And that doesn't explain my clothes and shoes!"

"Well, Hidan wanted to decorate to make up for the mess we made and ta-da, your shoes are now decorations!" Deidara grinned happily. "And the clothes, I wanted to see if there was anything I'd wear. Turns out there's not."

"Why did Sasori drop you off here?" Sasuke bit out, trying to control his temper as he looked toward his dresser and found all of his Companions belongings layed out and discarded.

"It's all your fault!" Deidara glared at Naruto.

"How is it his fault!" Sasuke shouted back as Naruto lifted his brow and waited.

"I was all set to rebuild the Gutter opening, but it kept collapsing on us! Then to make matters worse, I get there this morning and the whole place, along with every opening, is covered in cement! I bet anything it was Arashi's doing! He opened his big mouth and narked about all the openings! Stupid loser, that's why Sasori never liked him. He ruins everything fun! But that's not the point! The point is that your old dude and lady got the local government to shut the Gutters for good! Now I have nothing to fight and nothing to do all day! I'm bored out of my mind and Hidan's getting lazy! Sasori got tired of my complaining and lied to get me here! Not to mention Hidan ate all my cheetos!" Deidara ranted, kicking his Companion with the heel of his boot and sending him crashing to the floor. "I like cheetos!"

"I should kill you for that!" Hidan shouted back as he jumped up and looked like he'd attack Deidara. "You and your damn cheetos! I'm saving you from big thighs!"

"I like big thighs you overgrown doggie reject!" Deidara shouted back, standing on the bed and glaring down at Hidan.

With a snarl, Hidan charged at his master, only to come up short when he ended up face to face with Sora, the Fox growling angrily.

"Don't you growl at my Companion!" Deidara shouted at Sora, popping him on the head with a pillow.

"I'm defending you!" Sora said in shock as Deidara continued to beat him with the pillow.

"Don't you dare try to defend my Master! That's my job!" Hidan shouted, tackling Sora to the ground.

"Yeah! He defends me!" Deidara shouted his agreement and jumped ontop of them, beating both with the same pillow as he tried to get Sora.

"...My room..." Sasuke said watching the rest of his belongings being destroyed.

"Shall I stop them for you?" Naruto asked from beside him, gently pulling Sasuke back when the wrestling match moved their way.

"I never even liked that mirror." Sasuke said instead, watching in stunned silence as his grandfather's mirror crash to the floor. "Or that painting." that was made by his great uncle for the day he was born, the last one his uncle made before he died. "Or that desk." That was given to him by his father, who got it from his great grandfather, who got it from his own father, who made it with his own two hands. "And that table never fit anyway." the table that he made with Itachi for one of their bonding days as children.

"Master?" Naruto asked worriedly as Sasuke continued to watch, wide eye, as all of his belongings were destoryed.

"Naruto?"

"Yes?"

"I think...yeah." Sasuke nodded, turned around, and left him standing there in the doorway. Ten minutes later, Naruto saw his Master carrying a giant pot of water up the stairs. Racing to his side, he took the pot, that shockingly had cubes of ice within. "Do me a favor and toss the water on them."

"Yes Master." Naruto said and did as told.

"I'm melting!" came Deidara's cry seconds later.

Fourty minutes later, with Naruto snarling and growling the whole time, keeping the group moving quickly as Sasuke supervised, the room was cleaned and every broken object was picked up and thrown away. He was given the only two books that survived, Naruto's and Sora's black binders. What was left, besides those binders, was an empty room and a whole lot of nothing.

X~x~X

"I said sorry." Deidara glared, arms crossed as he followed Sasuke through a maze of hallways. "If you kill me, people will know." he added.

"The only one who would care, left us here." Hidan reminded in annoyance, dragging his feet behind his master.

"Oh yeah. Stupid Sasori. Let's go trash his place." Deidara glared, getting a glint in his eye that sent shivers down Sasuke's back.

"Why? You already trashed my room." Sasuke reminded them with a glare, stopping at the end of a hallway.

"That's why I said sorry for." Deidara rolled his eyes. "I don't say sorry just for anything."

"You don't say sorry at all." Hidan remarked.

"I know that." Deidara glared at his Companion, getting that look in his eyes back, that he got when he started the fight in Sasuke's room.

"Well," Sasuke said quickly as Naruto moved to step between them, holding Sora back with his tails, since the Fox was likely to engage them in a fight again. "This is what you're going to do to make up for it. Since you don't have a place to stay, and you broke everything in my room, you are going to help me train Naruto. In a civilized battle." Sasuke stressed out.

"Why?" Deidara whinned, stomping his foot and pouting. "Being civil is so boring. Things don't die!"

"Exactly. And I plan to keep things from dying when Naruto fights in the arenas."

"Why me! What did I do to deserve this-"

"First, you put me in danger, and second, you destroyed my room." Sasuke bit out.

"...Don't you put the blame on me...this is all your fault!" Deidara said pointing at him.

"Wh-"

"If you would have locked up your...dog, you would have never been in the Gutters and I'd still be terrorizing people down there. But instead your room got trashed because I'm not in the Gutters and we met because it was your fault!" Deidara finished with a smirk, arms crossed, again. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to-"

"Naruto." Sasuke said as he took a breath and walked through the door of the training room. Without looking back, Sasuke heard Deidara gasping and demanding to be set free. He heard Hidan growling and snarling and Sora shouting for Naruto to beat them up before squealing. Once he was in the center of the room, Sasuke turned to find Hidan in the air, unable to move with six of Naruto's tails holding him in place. Deidara was also in the air with one tail holding him up by one foot, but unlike the struggling Companion, he was glaring at Sasuke upside down, arms still crossed. Being dragged on the floor was Sora, who was demanding Naruto set his tails free and fight like a man. "For someone who practically runs the Gutters, you fell quickly and your Companion is unable to fight." Sasuke smirked

"You know, if we were in the Gutters I'd kill you." Deidara said.

"Is that why you were captured so easily?" Sasuke questioned.

"No, if I was really in danger, Hidan would have shifted and you'd be dead." Deidara huffed. "Your Companion looks like he can handle the arenas, so I guess I can go-"

"It's not the Teen form that needs help. We need his Beast form to stay in control and his advanced form above that. You and Hidan are going to help us control it using every move you have, no matter how dangerous and destructive." Sasuke said watching Deidara's glaring pout turn into a gleeful, frightening grin.

"Now, why didn't you say so." Deidara said as Naruto lowered him to the ground, doing the same to Hidan.

"So long as you don't kill my Companions everything goes." Sasuke said, calling Naruto and Sora over to one side of the training field while Deidara and Hidan went to the other.

"Gah, I hate rules. Sasori gives them to me all the time. Did you know he doesn't plan to come back for me until I'm normal?" Deidara grumbled.

"As if that's ever going to happen. Were new additions to the family now." Hidan said as.

"Well, the house is big and you haven't gone through Itachi's room." Sasuke said. "He has a lot more stuff then I do. You stay and help me, I'll personally show you to his belongings. I know you're a fan. Deal?"

At that Deidara grinned evily With a nod from both, the blonde turned to Sasuke and rubbed his hands together, "I can live with that. Beast." he ordered Hidan, watching the Hyena shift quickly. "Well?"

"I..." Sasuke flushed. "Can't figure out how to get Naruto to shift without someone attacking me." Sasuke admitted.

"Well, that's stupid." Deidara stated, hands on his hip. "What do you do when you're fighting as Beast?"

"He shifts when I'm in danger...but sometimes he loses control." Sasuke answered. "Sora shifts-"

"From your notes on Sora and his accomplishments, Sora won't make it far in the arenas." Deidara commented, ignoring Sora's denials. "He doesn't even have an element. Might not even get one, serves him right for thinking to take on Hidan." Deidara went on. "Naruto already goes Beast, has an element, and goes to another form that changes completely into his element. He's your biggest bet and the one I'd work on. Sora's, yawn, boring."

"I want to train them equally and get them both to the top. It's only a matter of time-"

"Sora, if he does get an element," Deidara cut him off, sounding like a teacher and nothing like the demented battler from moments ago, "won't get it for a while. The best you're going to get him in is top fifty. He shifted too early and that's probably due to being near Naruto. He's a good breed, and they learn fast, but Foxes have to learn like everyone else."

"I can't ignore Sora." Sasuke argued.  
"Listen to what I'm saying." Deidara huffed, as Hidan layed down and got comfortable. "If you control Naruto's element and fourth form, Sora might end up copying him and getting his own element. If Naruto's progress is pushing Sora's along faster, then get Naruto's training underway and allow Sora to absorve whatever Naruto is giving him without meaning too. Sora is still learning but he won't be fighting. I bet if we got Naruto underway, and he was able to fight without killing, Sora would be right behind him. Sora shifted, because Naruto's...whatever, provked him. Sora turned Beast because he was determined, and because he's been hanging out with Naruto. Foxes adapt, and Sora's no different." Deidara finished.

"What if I shifted Sora over and over, would Naruto learn to shift on command?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

"I don't think so." Deidara shook his head. "I mean he did follow Sora into a Teen Battle, but then again, you were in danger, and he took the form of the Companion stage that was attacking you. The only way to get Naruto to shift to Beast is to make yourself think you're in danger."

"What?"

"It's your fears and emotions he's feeding off of. Pretend like your scared or something. Be afraid to die or of something to die. Instead of having actual things attack you, make them up in your head. My guess is Naruto will feel your fear and shift to Beast if you pretend a Beast is attacking you."

"But I lose control-" Naruto started on a frown, surprising Sasuke by talking to Deidara.

"Which is why Sasuke's not going to picture any particular Beast. Just thinking of a Beast attacking you would do the trick." Deidara answered boredly.

"What about his forth form-"

"Sasuke, kid, one thing at a time. Lets get him to shift first. Do as I tell you. For the first few times, we'll get Naruto to shift by having Hidan attack you. We'll make it real so that you believe it enough that Naruto believes you are in danger. When we get that down, we'll have you imagine a make believe Beast."

"Why make one up?" Sora asked intrigued.

"If you make one up, Naruto has no actual target. My guess is that he'll shift but since the Beast Sasuke is afraid of won't actually be real, he won't lose himself. He'll follow commands and fight the battle you intend instead of trying to kill them."

"Could my emotions have forced Naruto to shift to his forth form?" Sasuke asked softly.

"Kid, Companions feed off of what we give them. What you gave, from what I saw on the reruns playing on tv before Hidan broke it-" at that, Hidan growled and narrowed his eyes, "you did break it, I was content watching what I was watching." Deidara glared back. "Don't you dare try to outsize me. I'll beat you black and blue-"

"Deidara." Sasuke called out before another fight could break out between the two. Never had he seen a master and Companion quite like them, but Sasuke knew their oddness was what made them work so well and survive so long.

"This isn't over, Sassie." Deidara remarked, smirking as Hidan's fur stood on end for being referred to as a dog. "Listen...what was I saying?"

"About Naruto's forth form." Sasuke reminded him.

"Oh yeah, hm, okay. You lost control of your emotions and Naruto was doing as you told him to do. You forced him to shift again because you were afraid of lots of things and Naruto couldn't keep up with them, that's my guess anyway. I'm sure if the rest of the Companions could shift beyond Beast when their Masters go crazy-panicky, they would. He lost control because you became afraid of him when he shifted. Which no one should ever do. Not many people know this, and you better not be telling the whole world I told you, but being afraid of your Companion is a no-no. Once that happens, you lose them completely and they attack everything."

"How do you know all this? Naruto isn't like other Companions and he's a generations Fox-"

"What works for one Companion, works for another." Deidara said boredly. "I've seen more battles in the Gutters, then anyone would ever see in a lifetime. The Gutter battles are brutal, and people are already nuts. I learned more from watching first, then fighitng later. Everyone does the same things, trains differently, but the results are the same. In the end, I realized that your emotions are what keep your Companions in check. If your afraid, your Companion feels it and they get sloppier with the more fear you have. If your angry, your Companions follow that too. Every emotion you have is like their own. Control thy body, control thy mind, control the damn thing that feeds off you like a leech." Deidara finished glaring at Hidan. "And what do you get in return? The same damn leech eating your cheetos!" at that, Hidan licked his chops and grinned. "Oh that is it! You're going down!" and before Sasuke could even start his first training lesson, his teachers were going at it again. This time he let them roll around and wrestle because it was then he realized that this was Deidara's and Hidan's way of showing affection for eachother. So long as neither ended up dead, Sasuke would let it be.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he realized that they spent more time talking then training and dinner would be put on the table in twenty minutes.

"I guess we can train tomorrow." he told Naruto, who nodded and continued to watch Deidara and Hidan. "You know," he started, causing both of his Foxes to look at him. "We will control your forth form. Like Deidara said, I just need to keep cool first and not panic. I'm sure it'll work."

"If not, you can always turn into those two." Sora added, watching as Deidara had Hidan in a choke hold, biting his ear and Hidan was rolling on the ground, trying to squish him.

"Spare me the thought." Naruto shuddered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Dinner was a very interesting thing, Sasuke thought as he sat by Itachi, trying not to laugh at his family's appaled looks. Even their Companions couldn't seem to form a thought or two, Kisame even going green in color. All of their eyes were fixed on the new, hopefully temporary, additions of their new family, Deidara and Hidan. Both newcomers were shoveling food down their mouths as fast as they could. The only ones that seemed unaffected was him, Sora, and Naruto. Each of them eating as if nothing was wrong.

"So...how long are you staying again?" Itachi finally asked, putting down his fork for good and pushing away his plate.

"I dunno," Deidara shrugged, a roll stuffed in his mouth as he went to drink from his juice. "forever I guess." he finished forcing the glob of food and drink down.

"Why are you here?" Kisame demanded, his eyes refusing to leave Hidan attacking his plate with his mouth like a common animal.

"Sasori dropped us off." Hidan burped, reaching for more food. "Good food, haven't eaten this good in years...or ever actually. Didn't realize we were starving."

"Why did he drop you off?"

"Because Sasuke offered to do anything to get his Companion back and well, Sasori got tired of Master's complaining. He figured we couldn't do any wrong in a place like this." Hidan shrugged, pouring half a bowl of gravey over his mash potatoes. "So he took Sasuke up on his offer."

"Would he also take money to take you back?" Fugaku asked, following Itachi's lead and putting his napkin on his plate. His face set in a way that looked hilarious to Sasuke as he laughed behind his cup of juice.

"He'd take the money and run, if that's what you mean?" Deidara answered, mouth free of food for once. "But I'm stuck here until I'm normal...but no worries, everything is under control. I help Sasuke with Naruto and I get free food and a place to sleep. Not to mention I've seen Itachi's room...by the way, don't touch your light switch."

"What's wrong with my light switch!" Itachi demanded in horror.

"Don't ask." Hidan said, grabbing a piece of chicken from Deidara's plate and biting through it, bones and all. "Don't ask about the bed springs either...or the closet door. Ignore the window, but put a plastic cover over it."

"Don't worry Itachi," Sasuke said before his brother could take off running. "Your room is still in good condition compared to mine. They didn't have enough time to trash yours. That's only five minutes worth of gawking."

"We don't trash rooms," Deidara contradicted, "we examine and then things break on us, but we make up for it too, we're not done though. We still have a few things we need to do and Sasuke promised us more time in your room. You have a lot of stu-"

"Which reminds me," Sasuke said quickly, cutting the blonde off. "Father I need my allowance early...and can you add a few zeros to it as well? I need to replace mine and Itachi's shoes."

"What's wrong with my shoes?" Itachi almost whimpered.

"We-"

"They decorated to make up for it." Sora answered, not seeing Sasuke's quick glare.

"I'm done," Sasuke said before anyone else could speak. "Deidara let's go train."

"But we just finished eating. Rules say you have to wait-"

"You don't follow rules. You ignore them and do what you want." Sasuke stopped the blonde from weasling out of the deal. "Father, Mother, if you'll exuse us...oh and I gave Deidara the guest room next to Itachi's. He said he wanted to be close to his favorite Companion and battler after Hidan and himself, of course. Okay, bye." he finished, dragging Deidara with him. Behind him, Naruto and Sora followed. And behind those two, Hidan came with the platter of chicken.

"Father?" Itachi said looking ready to faint.

"Lock our room Mikoto." Fugaku said. "In fact lock every room to anything they can get into to! You get the west side of the house and I'll get the east. Bee you get up stairs, and Yugito get the down. Itachi get what we miss!" with that both of them took off running with their Companions, leaving Itachi to be consuled by Kisame.

X~x~X

"Okay, now are you ready?" Sasuke asked in frustration for the seventh time. Each time before answered with a not yet or hold on. "You've stretched, drank water, stretched some more, ate a candy bar that I had to go track down, you meditated, brushed Hidan's fur, and brushed your own. Now will you help me?"

"Can't you see I'm trying to get in the zone?" Deidara demanded as he sat on the floor and closed his eyes.

"Why are you stalling!" Sora shouted, pulling at his hair. "You were so set on getting down and dirty before dinner and now you don't want to do anything after!"

"Yeah, I do this when people tell me what to do." Deidara answered, peaking through one eye. "I tend to do what I want and ignore what I've said before...I'm bored."

"Well be unbored and help me train!" Sasuke bit out.

"You remind me of Sasori. Always telling me to do, this and that-"

"You will aid my Master," Naruto cut him off, looking at the other with narrowed eyes, sending the other two Companions on guard.

"And if I don't?" Deidara asked not really caring about the threat. "You don't have that much control yet, foxy. What are you going to do?"

"You misunderstand," Naruto smirked, "It's not what I can do to you but against you."

"Which is?"

"Itachi's room is of great interest of yours, correct?" getting a slight nod from the blonde nut case, Naruto went on, "If you do not help us, you get no aid in breaking into Itachi's room or any room that your favorite battler deems important to himself. Nor will I tell you where Itachi's secret compartment is."

"Secret compartment..." Deidara said with wide eyes. "What's in there?"

"You'll have to help us to see for yourself. Not many know of it's location. Only myself, Master, Kisame, and Itachi himself. Soon you'll be added onto the list. Imagine everything that no one else knows about your favorite battler. From his journals to Kisame's own diaries."

"Deal." Deidara jumped up, eyes all wide and excited about the biggest secrets of Itachi and Kisame and soon they'll be his. A fan's dream come true. "Beast." he told Hidan, ignoring his Companion giving him a look of disbelief.

"You're going to buy that bullshit?"

"Beast!" Deidara glared. "So help me dog breath if you don't go Beast, I'm going to find a rolled up newspaper!"

"For the last time I'm not afraid of NEWSPAPER! I'm not a DOG!" Hidan growled.

"Then change to a Beast, you moron!" was Deidara's perfect argument.

"Stupid Masters not knowing when they're being duped." Hidan grumbled as he did as told. Deidara to lost in his fantasies about his idols to really care about anything else.

Sasuke bet if he looked close enough he'd see stars twinkling around Deidara's head. Instead he looked at Naruto, "He's going to be pissed when he realized you lied to him."

"I never said I was speaking the truth." Naruto answered back.

"So now what?" Sora asked as he moved to sit by the door, watching as Naruto moved in front of Sasuke.

"Move it foxy!" Deidara shouted, motioning him to the side with a wave of his hand. We need to attack Sasuke for you to go Beast. Can't do that if you're in the way!"

With a sigh, Naruto stepped to the side and waited.

"Perfect, Hidan attack!" Deidara shouted. In a flash, Hidan was off, running toward Sasuke. Just as he went to strike, Sasuke jumped back and Naruto jumped in front of him, still in the body of a Teen. "Stupid Sasuke, you weren't afraid!"

"I was kind of expecting it-"

"Don't!" Deidara growled, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Start being afraid."

"I don't have anything to be afraid of!" Sasuke shouted back.

"Oh yeah." Deidara narrowed his eyes, "We'll see about that." and for the next two hours, he set to prove true to his words, but only ended up getting frustrated when Naruto had yet to shift and Sasuke wouldn't cooperate. "Oh that is it, the gloves are coming off." he snarled, looking very demented to Sasuke. "Hidan." was all Deidara said, calling his Companion to his side. Without second thought, he said, "Make it rain!"

In stunned silence, Sasuke watched as Hidan used the attack he had seen before. But instead of coming toward him like he thought it would, Hidan used it on Deidara. "NO!" Sasuke shouted, running toward Deidara as pieces of the ceiling began to fall quickly toward Deidara. As he made to run toward the other, it happened. Naruto shifted, his body over taking the room, stopping the walls and giant pieces of the ceiling from hitting Deidara by seconds. His eyes were narrowed on Hidan, teeth bared, stopping the Hyena from getting any closer to Deidara.

"My job is done." Deidara bowed from the waist.

"You could have killed yourself!" Sasuke yelled at the grinning idiot.

"That was the point. You weren't scared to die or anything, so yeah." Deidara waved it off. "It doesn't matter. If I have to, I'll have Hidan attack me all the damn time if it means you'll become afraid. And you'll stay afraid because you know I won't call off Hidan's attack no matter what. So if you want to keep me alive, you'll keep trying to save me. Shift Naruto back."

"You're crazy, you know that." Sasuke said doing as told.

"So I've been told. Don't know why people say it though, I think I'm pretty normal. Now let's do it again and again until you can build your own fear up..."

By the time eleven came around, Sasuke had Naruto shifting on command. With Deidara trying to constantly kill himself every five seconds, it wasn't hard to do. Hidan was beyond pissed that he couldn't go near his Master without Naruto going apeshit, but Deidara said he'd get over it. And by eleven, Sasuke's nerves were so strained. He knew Hidan wouldn't kill Deidara, or hoped anyway, but just seeing someone almost instants from death constantly was making Sasuke go grey.

"Okay, that's it for tonight. Tomorrow, you'll shift Naruto and work out some elemental moves." Deidara yawned as they walked out of the training room. "I have a few that would look pretty cool with fire. We'll work on timing them right. And you get to make up names for them instead of just yelling 'Fire!'. How lame is that? Every Battler does it, and I always wonder if they mean to use the move their Companion uses or n...This is my room. Night!" and Deidara was gone, not even bothering to finish what he was saying.

"That was interesting." Sora said. "But I don't think I can live through another lesson. I was at the point I wanted to shift."

"You did shift, several times." Sasuke said to his Companion.

"I couldn't help it. I had to shift!" Sora said.

"It is what Deidara wanted," Naruto answered as they entered Sasuke's empty room, finding nothing still in there save for a blanket and pillow taken from another guest room.

"For you, I can shift on my own." Sora grumbled as he moved to what would have been his spot in the room. "Man shifting so much makes you exhausted."

"Try shifting over and over again for hours on end." Naruto said, arching his back to stretch. Rubbing at his eyes, he moved to his own spot in Sasuke's room and soon fell asleep.

"Imagine when he does an extra shift over." Sora whispered as he blinked tired eyes toward his friend. "How is Deidara going to train him in that?"

"We'll just have to find out." Sasuke yawned as he layed down, reaching for Naruto's tail to use as an extra pillow. Not long after, Sora's tails curled over him to become his blanket and the heat from both foxes made Sasuke fall asleep thinking about what Deidara had in mind for when Naruto shifted to his fourth form.


	16. Chapter 16

**16**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"-and one two three and one two three. Come on get those legs up!" Deidara shouted at the tv in the sitting room. "And one two three, good job!"

"Why are we doing this?" Sasuke panted tiredly, looking at his idiot trainer sweating up a storm, as Hidan pretended to mimic them but was in reality eating candy with Sora.

"Stretch out your arms, and kick!" Deidara said again, copying the lady in tights on the tv, saying word for word what she was saying.

Sasuke wasn't sure how using one of his mom's old excerising videos was helping Naruto control his third form, but Deidara was the expert of sorts and so far had done a lot to help Naruto out in the last two weeks. Naruto could shift on command and even had a few attacks for his beast form.

Of course, waking up at five in the morning just to kick at the air and bend at the knees was not something that seemed to do anything but exhaust them all, save for Deidara since he seemed to be having the time of his life.

"Hands on your hips, girls!" Deidara grinned, "And turn! Left. Right. Left. Right. Feel the burn!"

"Deidara!" Sasuke shouted when Deidara continued on.

"And Bend!"

Bending at the waist to touch the floor, Sasuke fell over and didn't bother to get back up. Quick to come to his side, Naruto knelt beside him, helping him sit up.

"Are you well, Master?" his Companion asked tiredly, sweat forming on his body and dripping as if he had been in the shower. Sasuke knew he looked and smelt just as bad. And the shirt he wore was like a second skin now.

"I'm...Okay." He panted tiredly, drinking greedily from the cup that Sora brought over, his mouth covered in chocolate, not an ounce of sweat anywhere on him. "Why aren't you doing it?"

"I dunno," Sora shrugged. "Seems pointless."

"Eight more!" Deidara continued on as he now layed on the floor on his side, lifting one leg before putting it back down over and over again. "That's right! Come on!"

"Hidan why are we doing this?" Sasuke asked the Hyena as Hidan moved beside them, offering them candy.

"I dunno." Hidan said, copying Sora. "He found the tape at three this morning and has been watching it over and over again. I think he's gone nuts."

"Now the other side!" Deidara shouted, laying on his other side and doing the exact same thing.

"Is this part of training?" Naruto asked doubtfully.  
"I dunno that either. He's never trained anyone. He normally does weird things, but this eats the cake...we should have cake for dinner!"

"Yeah, sure..." Sasuke nodded as Deidara sat, legs crossed under him and watched the lady on the screen wipe her face with a towel as she said her good byes and see you next times. "Deidara-"

"I got it!" Deidara shouted, turning quickly to face them. I have your move!"

"From that?" Sasuke asked as the credits came on.

"Don't be stupid." Deidara said looking as if he believed Sasuke was in fact stupid.

"Then why did we do all this?"

"I dunno, I felt like it I guess." Deidara said as he walked out of the room, leaving four stunned gazes to follow him.  
"I'm going to kill him!" Sasuke snarled. He went through almost an hour of dying for nothing!

X~x~X

"So what are we going to do?" Sasuke asked after a quick shower, wearing gym clothes. In front of him, Deidara was nodding as if listening to music only he heard. Hidan was playing some game with Sora with their hands, where one of them had their hands palms down and the other would try to slap it. So far he was pretty sure Hidan was winning, or at least he believed that since Sora kept cursing.

Naruto was crouched beside him, his hands resting between his legs, watching Deidara, his tails moving behind him, fluttering over Sasuke's back creating a refreashing breeze.

"Beast!" Deidara said so suddenly that Hidan had little time to look at him before he shifted. With a growl, Hidan turned narrowed eyes on Deidara. Under his front paws, Sora was screaming for air. "Okay, your move is going to be awesome! I have the perfect attack and it's going to be your signature move!"

"Okay, what is it?" Sasuke asked, already seeing moves he thought would be cool and really affective. Sure the other two he had were alright and slightly awe inspiring if he said so himself, but the one he wanted to try more then anything else was-

"Stop day dreaming and listen to me!" Deidara snapped, a glare in place. "Okay, this is what I was thinking...well?"

"Well what? Am I supposed to read your mind?" Sasuke demanded, feeling put off for his dream attack being shattered like glass.

"Shift." Deidara said with a duh stare.

"...Shift?...Oh, right." Sasuke flushed, "Shift." he ordered Naruto. Just as quickly as he said those words, Naruto shifted, his body stretching as much as the room would allow.

"Okay, this is what we're going to do..." Deidara said and went on to explain what he wanted done and how.

Three days later, happy with the progress, Deidara surprised him once more at five in the morning. Of course instead of the dreaded exercise movie, he told Sasuke to get dress as he went to wake everyone else up.

An hour later, everyone was dressed, looking exhausted, and standing in a row in front of Deidara.

A Deidara who was wearing a white hat that said coach in big black letters and a jacket that said the same thing.

"Let's go!" Deidara shouted turning around, hand still punching the air as he marched out the door. When everyone else just looked at eachother, the blonde nutcase came back, glaring at all of them. "I said, LET'S GO!"

Jumping, all quickly followed him and got in the limo. Whenever any of them asked where they were going, Deidara just told them to shut up because he wasn't in the mood.

Finally after an hour and a half of driving, the limo came to a stop and Deidara jumped over everyone to get out first. "Ta-da!" he said, standing like a showcase girl, an arena being the thing shown off.

"What?" Sasuke finally said in confusion, seeing people already there.

"We are going to throw you back in the arena and then we are going to be amazing!"  
"We?" Kisame questioned.

"Duh, I'm his coach!" Deidara pointed to his hat as he unzipped his coat and threw back into the limo. Stunning everyone as he showed off a white shirt saying 'TEAM ITACHI/KISAME' and under that was 'DEIDARA AND HIDAN STILL ROCK BETTER'.

"Where's my name?" Sasuke asked not seeing anything but coach written on the back.

"Right here silly," Deidara said pointing to the sleeve of his shirt and in little fine letter it said, 'YAY SASUKE AND NARUTO... PLUS SORA'.

"That's it?"

"Yeah, isn't it great!" Deidara shouted. "Come on, the arena is waiting!"

Sharing a look with Naruto, Sasuke followed the screaming lunatic that was gaining a lot of attention. He gained so much attention, no one noticed three famous battlers and their Companions walking right behind them, all pretending they had no idea who Deidara was. Of course, Hidan was right behind them, whistling and falling farther behind with each step. "HIDAN!" was all Deidara needed to say before Hidan cursed and took off after his master.

Once they made it to the door, Deidara was standing just inside the entrance, tapping his foot and pointedly looking at his wrist as if he wore a watch. Without a word toward them, only a look that scared them all, he turned around, his blonde hair flying and marched on.

"Where are we?" Sasuke's dad asked as he looked around. "It looks like a beginner's arena but I don't remember one being in this place."

"That's because it's not exactly one of those arenas." Deidara grinned, turning to face them. "This here is another owned arena completely."

"It's what? There's no arena like that." Sasuke's mom frowned. "I would know."

"The battles in here are always live. It's kind of another version of the Battle Arena. People that want to make it big and gain a reputation come here. This is how Gutter battlers leave the Gutters."

"Still the officals recognize this?" Itachi asked in surprise seeing people signing up, none seeming to notice them anymore or even look their way.

"Well, they can't stop it. It's not illegal, or as big, so whatever. It's another version like I said, owned by another family. Unlike that other Arena," At this Deidara yawned the name, "This one you can challenge anyone here. You can be deadlast and challenge the first place. It's a lot more intense, not as strict, and really fun, or so Sasori said many times to get me to join this shit. You still have first, second, and third place winners, but unlike the Senjus', this is ran by a freaky chick named Mei Terumi and her Lizard, Zetsu. She's like bi-polar or something." Deidara explained. "Anyway, this is the only Terumi Arena. It's televisied and stuff but not as popular, you know?" seeing their blank gazes Deidara sighed, "You guys are too caught up in your arena you don't even see the knockoffs. This is one of a few out there, each ran by different people. But this one is like second best compared to all of the arena's including the Battle Arenas."

"Has anyone jumped from here to the real arena?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know. I just know what Sasori told me. It's the legalized version of the Gutters, so he says."

"But Sasuke's trying to get into the Battle Arenas." Sora frowned.

"Yeah, and here's my plan. We can't just throw you back in there. They're not going to allow you to fight Naruto because they see him as dangerous, no one is going to want to fight you either. My theory is if we fight you in another arena, gain you a good rep and stuff, put you all over tv, they are bound to notice. You'll become the new it team that everyone wants to face and if all goes as I know it will, you'll get challenges from other Arenas. Mei will like it cause you'll get her more business and the others will be the same way. Everyone's going to want a piece of you. So you'll own all the small arenas out here and only when we show how amazing you are, cause I made it so, will we give the Battle Arena a second look. We're going to make them want you. Because you, my lovely student, are going to make them big bucks. You are going to give them ratings. And they are going to want to face you against their first place fighters."

"Konan." Sasuke breathed, stunned that Deidara thought this all through.

"Bingo. So we'll start here, because Sasori was always trying to get me in here, and go from there." Deidara went on, moving toward a counter toward the right.

"Who are we going to challenge first?" Sasuke asked, moving quickly to keep up with him.

"Hello, I said we can challenge first place fighters. That's what we're going to do." Deidara rolled his eyes as he stopped by the counter. "You." he said to the guy with glasses.

"Me?"

"No the idiot behind you-don't look you moron! Gah you're the only one in there, what the hell is your problem? Don't answer that. Look I need an application."

"Okay, I just need you to fill-"

"Um, how about you fill it out, my fingers hurt." Deidara said handing over a piece of paper that probably had all of Sasuke's information. "Get too it, and give me and my guest a V.I.P pass too."

"We don't-"

"On really." Deidara gasped, looking completely offended.

"I-"

"Nah, I'm just messing with you, but seriously fill out the form." Deidara pointed at the sheet.

"And he calls this Mei bi-polar." Itachi whispered as the guy did as Deidara told him. A few minutes later, Deidara taped a number to Sasuke's chest.

"Okay we battle in twenty." Deidara said pulling them along. "We are fighting a man named Zabuza Momochi and his Snow Leopard, Haku."

Haku? Sasuke frowned thinking it odd that his former classmate, Sakura also had a Snow leopard named Haku. How weird was that?

"Apparently this guy bought the Snow Leopard off a little girl because Haku wasn't bonding to her no matter what the girl tried. So she sold him and bought some Butterfly named Shion or something. The girl was an idiot." Deidara smirked as he handed Sasuke a sheet of paper. "Days after Zabuza bought the Snow Leopard, it shifted for him and somehow or other, it shifted again and became a Beast. Haku brought Zabuza to the top again."

"No way," Sasuke said looking over everything. If all this was right, Haku had faced a lot of opponets and won each battle hands down.

"Not that any of it's a surprise." Deidara went on, "Zabuza's last Companion, Ameyuri, was a top in this arena for a long time."

"What happened to that Companion?" Sora asked as they turned down a hallway and moved into a lunchroom.

Taking them to a table in the back, Deidara sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for everyone else to do the same. "Well, Ameyuri got sick and passed on. I've seen some clips of her fighting though. That Swordfish sure knew how to fight. She was pretty awesome. I think she could have made it in the Battle Arenas. Top ten for sure, but Zabuza never left this arena. Mei's his cousin so he keeps business good here. When Ameyuri died, he pulled back for a while and came back a week ago with Haku. First day back, he challenged the first place person and wiped the floor with them."

"You know alot about this Zabuza." Fugaku said surprised about all the details Deidara had given.  
"I may not participate in your fancy shits but I like to know what I would be dealing with if I was." Deidara sniffed. "Besides, Hidan would totally kick all their asses." At that Hidan puffed up with pride.

"Then why don't you join?" Mikoto asked.

"Because people keep telling me to." Deidara remarked, pouting like a child. "I hate being told what to do."

"So we've seen." Bee rolled his eyes, "I think we are finally getting noticed."

"Who cares," Deidara said, looking toward the giant screen on the wall, "That's us, we're up next. Come on Sasuke, Naruto you two got a date."

"Zabuza won't know what hit him." Sasuke smirked making Deidara grin. As he followed Deidara toward the arena entrance, Sasuke realized something. He didn't really want to fight Konan anymore. Sure he wanted her place, but she wasn't his priority. Instead, Sasuke wanted to face Deidara in a real battle. With everything Deidara knew, Sasuke knew the battle would be epic. Maybe once he took first place in the Battle Arena, he'd challenge Deidara...


	17. Chapter 17

**17**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke could feel the excitment in the air just dancing on his skin. He wasn't even in the stadium and already he could hear them cheering. The crowd was louder then the announcer! Looking around, he realized that he wasn't the only one feeling jittery. The only one that looked calm was Deidara.

"Okay," Deidara said, bringing everyones attention to him. "Just do as I taught you. Shift him mid-attack, get the upper hand, and then knock him on his ass. If you lose, I'm kicking your ass."

"Okay." Sasuke nodded, feeling the pressure to not lose. You'd think his parents would stick up for him, and jump down Deidara's throat, but instead, they were pretending not to hear. "Gee, thanks." he told them sarcastically. "Some strange lunatic threatens to beat me up and you say nothing."

"He means well." his mom said reassuringly.

"Don't lose." his dad shrugged.

With a glare, Sasuke turned when his name was called. With Naruto right beside him, Sora a few feet behind him, he headed toward the entrance of the stadium.

"And for Zabuza's opponet, a team with their first match here- HEY GIVE IT BACK!"

Sasuke frowned in confusion when the sound of a shuffle was heard, turning to ask Deidara what was going on, he found everyone gone. Seconds later, he heard Deidara's voice.

"The match you are about to see, will be epic! I should know, I'm the coach to the challenger!" Deidara said clearly, "There will never be a match more amazing then this one today, unless I was participating, but I'm not, so we have to make do. Yeah, it's heartbreaking-do you mind, I'm on the mic!" a sound of a thunk followed that and then Deidara said, "If you send security, Hidan will go all animal on your ass! Now what was I saying... Oh yeah, Zabuza eat your heart out, cause you're about to lose your title. How did you get Haku's hair to shine so pretty? Hidan's just won't sparkle like that-"

"Shut up!" Hidan shouted.

"I have got to take Hidan to your stylist. Does Haku eat your cheetos?"

In the distance, Sasuke heard a "Haku doesn't like cheetos."

"You wanna trade?"

"You bastard! You can't trade me!" Hidan shouted.

"Deidara please just start already!" Sasuke heard Kisame yell.

"Shut up! I'm trying to negotiate! Now Zabuza, on me I have...two dollars, a package of crackers, five pieces of gum, this piece of lint, and... Itachi's mint condition underwear."

"WHAT!"

"Why does he have Itachi's underwear?" Sora asked in shock.

"Maybe he's sniffing them?" Naruto offered.

"I'm auctioning them off on ebay, but I'll give them to you in exchange for Haku. He's so well mannered." Deidara went on unphased.

"... ... ... I'll... ... ... pass..." Zabuza said.

"I also have-" another shuffle was heard, followed by someone screaming, "Bring out the challenger!" and then Deidara yelling, "You bastard! I was going to do that!" followed by "Security!" then "Oh hells to the no, Hidan!" and then an explosion.

Needless to say, the match started an hour later and Deidara was banned from the building, not that he cared since he refused to budge until Sasuke won. So since no one could get him out, and Hidan wasn't letting anyone touch his Master, Deidara got to sit on the side of the arena with Sasuke's family, who had the crowd buzzing, and Sasuke was now standing on one side of the field with Naruto before him and Sora behind him.

Across from Sasuke was Zabuza with his very beautiful Snow Leopard in front of him. If Sasuke didn't know, he would have thought Haku a girl. The only thought going through his head was, damn Sakura had lost out on an amazing looking Companion.

"He's really your coach?" Zabuza asked in disbelief, his eyes shifting quickly to Deidara and away again. He did not need to be called a perv again because his eyes kept shifting to Deidara. Not because he was attracted to him but because Deidara was a nut case. He had never met Deidara before, but the blonde had the feel of a Gutter Battler, meaning that Deidara was probably acting out, being deprived of his usual entertainment. He had seen it before. The crazier they were, the more chaotic they seemed to fight. Deidara was by far the craziest one he had met. So how did Sasuke end up with a Gutter Battler as his coach? Sure he heard the Gutters had been closed, but still, who in their right mind would let this crazy near their kid?

"Yeah..." Sasuke nodded, flushing slightly.

"Hmph. Well it doesn't matter, Uchiha." Zabuza decided, focusing on the battle to come. He knew of Naruto and Sasuke so he knew what to kind of expect. " I've seen your only match on tv, let me tell you, I'm not afraid of you or your overgrown Beast. You might be the chall-"

"Oh shut up and fight!" Deidara snapped. "Gah, all people do is talk when we want action! Sasuke go!"

"Right. Naruto, Tailspin!" he said quickly, using attacks he thought of, but since Deidara said all attacks needed names, everything that Naruto did had a name. Each move and attack drilled, litterly, into his and his two Compainions heads to be memorized, quizzed on, and hosed down in cold water if they forgot anything. He had went through torture to memorize moves.

In a flash, Naruto took off toward Haku. Jumping mid-air, he began twirling like a loose spinning top, his tails all out stretched. Angling toward Haku, Naruto came down fast, barely missing the other by inches and digging into the field before coming to a stop.

"Haku, go!" Zabuza called out, watching as Haku seemed to disappear, speeding toward Naruto and striking the Fox before he could defend himself. With a grunt, Naruto flew backwards, landing painfully on his back, before propelling himself back up with his tails.

"Protect!" Sasuke shouted before Haku could strike again, feeling in the zone. Training under Deidara had paid off. With his tails, Naruto covered himself completely, making a dome that Haku couldn't break through. Okay Sasuke, think, he told himself. Haku seemed to use speed for an advantage, meaning techniques he had used to stop Kisame could work on him. But unlike Kisame, Haku didn't seem to need to pick up speed as he ran, already having it in one step. How to stop him? Sasuke thought, keeping Naruto in the defensive position. Watching Haku, Sasuke soon realized what he had been missing. When Haku struck, he would pause before he moved again. So Naruto needed to catch Haku when he paused. "Nine Limb Grab!" He shouted.

Quick to follow his orders, Naruto waited as Haku struck again, but before the Snow Leopard could move off, Naruto's tails turned into a cage and caught Haku within, his tails twirling around eachother as the leopard tried to escape.

"BEAST!" both Sasuke and Zabuza yelled, their Companions quick to follow their orders. In a flash, Naruto became the giant Beast that made the whole stadium gasp. If Haku heard Zabuza, no one could tell, since the Snow Leopard was completely hidden away from everyone watching.

"Ice!" Zabuza shouted, smirking as ice spears drew blood from Naruto's tails as they broke through. With a howl of pain, Naruto threw back his head, but his tails refused to let go.

"Sasuke, what are you waiting for! GO!" Deidara screamed.

"Uh," at the sight of blood, Sasuke couldn't think of any moves. Everything was a blank, save for the fear he felt at seeing Naruto's blood. Felt fear at losing again. That this battle would be like the last one. That Naruto would become something else that he wasn't ready for. "Fire!" he shouted, unable to think of anything. The names fading from his memory. Never in his training had blood been drawn from Naruto.

With a grunt, Naruto created fire within his mouth, but with another ice attack, the spears getting bigger, the fire went into the air, moving through the air like an uncontrolable snake. Looking toward his family, sitting in the seats just behind a shouting Deidara, Sasuke felt his heart beating quickly. He heard them shouting, cheering him on, but none of their words made sense.

The looks on their faces quickly changed from excitment to one of shock. Turning toward Naruto, Sasuke was stunned to realize that Naruto was going to his fourth form. He was losing control again. His furry paws were turning to fire and quickly eating at his body. Looking from Naruto, Sasuke saw Zabuza shouting command after command to break Haku free of the tails, but as quick as the ice appeared, drawing blood, it melted away.

"Don't panic!" Deidara shouted, looking pissed beyond belief, and bringing Sasuke out of his state of shock as his voice finally broke through the buzzing in his ears. "Focus!"

Taking a breath to calm his beating heart, Sasuke went back to his first training session with Deidara. Creating a fake Beast in his head, he let his fear build there. He imagined a Beast so vicious, so scary, that he felt his heart pick up speed again. He imagined himself being consumed by the creature.

"Master, I'm going to shift!" Sora shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to prevent himself from shifting, falling to his knees and pulling on his hair.

"Attack!" Deidara shouted again, pointing toward Naruto.

Looking at his Companion, Sasuke realized that Naruto was once again Beast, matching the same type of form Sasuke had imagined, his tails swirving around him like an erotic flame of fur. His body was hunched over Sasuke's, stiff and snarling as he looked for the Beast that scared Sasuke.

In front of Zabuza, Haku was standing as big as a sports car, his spotted furry body singed in spots but he was otherwised unharmed. Though Sasuke had to say he looked a bit stunned.

"Master, please stop!" Sora shouted again, his body popping in places as he tried to keep himself from shifting, his nails turning into claws and digging into the ground.

Getting rid of the image quickly, Sasuke apologised to Sora and attacked before Zabuza could. "Naruto, Nine-Tailed Boom!" Sasuke said as Naruto relaxed as well. Taking a breath, Naruto created fire from his mouth once more. And like Deidara had taught him, this being the move that Deidara said would be his signiture move, Naruto forced the fire through the sides of his mouth, sending it down his back and toward his tails. Once it got to the beginning of his tails, the fire morphed together for a few seconds, just enough to create a beautiful ball of fire, before separating once more and trailing down each tail to the tips. With a swat of each tail, one at a time, only ten seconds max separating them, Naruto's tails let the small orbs fly free, looking like a catupult, each tail aiming one fire orb a piece toward Haku.

Haku dodged the first three, but was quickly attacked by the the next two. As the sixth one looked to hit, Haku created an ice wall, but that was quickly demolised by the seventh and eight. When the ninth orb hit, it knocked Haku completely off his feet, sending him skidding across the ground.

Sasuke waited, his breath refusing to leave his body, for Haku to either get up or stay down. Slowly Haku moved slightly, his legs trying to push him up, but unable to do so. Just as Sasuke thought he'd won, Zabuza said, "Not so fast, Uchiha, Haku isn't done yet." With a whistle from Zabuza, Haku turned his body to ice. When his whole body was covered, the ice began to crack.

"Stupid Sasuke, signiture move means you use it for the end!" Deidara grumbled, arms crossed in annoyance as Hidan tsked and said, 'noob'. "Use move 2!"

"Now?" Sasuke questioned, watching the ice fall like little diamonds from Haku's form.

"No, tomorrow." Deidara said sarcastically.

"Deidara, you're not supposed to aid people in the middle of a battle." Itachi reminded the blonde mence. To be honest, Itachi was suprised at the attack and how quickly Sasuke got Naruto undercontrol again. This Companion was nothing like the one that fought Sasuke's classmate. Was this all Deidara's doing?

"In your battle arena, yeah. In this one everything goes so long as they don't die." Deidara countered as Sasuke called out his next move.

"Two-Tailed Collision!" Sasuke said, not hearing their converstation. With his next order, Naruto placed the two end tails, from either side of his body, within his mouth as he blew out fire. Swirling his tails around the fire, Naruto created a ball of energy, allowing it to grow until it was as big as Haku. Pulling the orb of fire from his mouth, he pulled his tails over his head before he threw his tails forward, sending the giant orb toward Haku.

"Move 1!" Deidara shouted next.

"One-Tailed Twister!" Sasuke shouted, Watching Naruto create another ball of fire. With his middle tail, he twirled the tip of it in the orb from above, creating a tornado. "Release!" Sasuke shouted, when he thought the attack was big enough. With a rush of fire, the tornado flew across the field and struck Haku just moments after the orb hit, giving Haku no time to move out of the way as the ice had yet to completely break away.

"Move 9!" Deidara said.

With a nod, Sasuke once more had Naruto do his signiture move. "Nine-Tailed Boom!" he shouted, watching as Naruto as the Fox's previous attacks faded into smoke. With ease, Naruto created fire once more, sending it flying down his back and to the tips of his tails, and this time when each attack flew over the field, all nine hit Haku.

"I resign!" Zabuza said when he realized that Haku wasn't going to make it much longer in the battle. With another whistle, Haku turned his body to ice once more, this time taking longer to break free.

"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha!" an announcer called out, watching Naruto in awe. After a small silence, the crowd erupted into cheers and Sasuke found himself held high against his father's chest. With a grin breaking free, he ordered Naruto to shift into a Teen.

"Congratulations," Zabuza said with Haku standing right behind him, the Teen smiling softly at them. "The battle ended faster then I would have hoped, but it was still amazing. You came a long way in the short amount of time from your first battle on tv. This battle, your Companion even, will be rewatched over and over again."

"I know, I trained him!" Deidara broke in, pushing people out of the way to stand in the middle of the crowd. Looking toward Sasuke, who was now standing by Naruto and Sora, he shook his head, shaking his pointer finger in Sasuke's face.

"What?" Sasuke said.

"You are such an amature. All that training..." Hidan answered for him.

"He fought amazing well today." Itachi defended him.

"He panicked." Deidara answered. "So lucky I'm your coach. If I was Zabuza, I would have struck while you were in the middle of a melt down."

"His fire was melting my ice!" Zabuza defended himself quickly, looking royally offended.

"Yeah it was." Deidara shook his head, waving his finger in front of Zabuza's face as Hidan smirked.

"What would you have done?" Zabuza demanded, crossing his arms and looking as if to strangle Deidara. Everyone, but Deidara and Hidan took a step back. Zabuza looked scary.

"The ice move you had Haku used, the one that healed him, you used it wrong." Deidara smirked.

"How?" Haku asked. He had trained hard to perfect that move. It was meant to heal him. Depending on how much damage he suffered was how long he would be within it. Most times the damage was gone within a blink.

"Instead of using it to heal him, _which freezes him in place_, mind you," Deidara said using his teacher voice that Sasuke knew all to well. Unlike other teachers, however, Deidara got scary. "I would have used it as a second skin. I would have then doubled it some more, making a diamond ice armor and then struck with the needle things. And since he's _ice_, I would have changed the ice to black ice and ta-da, it would have been my battle."

"Black ice?" Zabuza frowned.

"Yeah, it would have been epic." Deidara sighed, throwing an arm around Sasuke's shoulders and steering him away, leaving Zabuza demanding an explanation. "Now you can keep your title, just make sure you air all the good parts of the battle over and over again. Tell your cousin that we'll still be around if she finds anyone worth fighting, but we're going to fish around the other arenas until then."

"But I thought-" Sasuke frowned

"Sasuke, we are getting you known. We set out to conqure the other arenas and we are." Deidara said. "Man being a coach is exhausting. At least the three moves we practiced went off without a hitch. Once we get the fourth one down, you should do well. And the five you have in mind, we'll work on those after you conqure another one."

"Um, Deidara?" Mikoto said, following them out of the arena.

"Whatta?"

"Do you by chance take checks to train over battlers?"

"MOM!" Sasuke gaped.

"What? He did really well with Naruto, I figured he could fine tune Yagito-"

"I wouldn't mind fine tuning Bee." Fugaku said. "Now I-"

"He's my coach!" Sasuke shouted, "He can't train you if he's training me!"

"I'm not training anyone else. It's too exhausting-" Deidara started.

"I could use some advice as well." Itachi admitted.

"Okay!" Deidara quickly agreed. "Now I've..." with that, Deidara quickly latched on to Itachi, chatting away about one of his favorite moves of Kisames. Kisame was nodding quickly to everything he said, and Sasuke was just watching them with a slacked jaw.

"What the hell!" Hidan shouted, "You promised to take me to the park today! How the hell am I supposed to scare little brats around the playground!"

"You scare kids for fun?" Sora asked Hidan. "Where are their moms?"

"Yeah, it's funny when they pee." Hidan defended himself. "Sometimes, if I'm lucky, they trip over their feet and land in poop! And their moms are chasing me, but it's funnier when the fat ones try to catch me, they just jiggle all over the place."

"..."

"Want me to take you to the park?" Fugaku offered.

"Fugaku!" Mikoto gasped as everyone turned to him.

"It sounds funny!"

**A/N: I just love Deidara, he literally bumped his way to my top three fav Naruto characters, right behind Naruto and Haku.**


End file.
